Pokemon Masters of Azeroth
by LittleFireDragon
Summary: Five pokemon trainers fall into the world of warcraft. Led by Gary, they must learn to wield swords and sorcery as well as pokemon against the rising forces of the Lich King, while trying to open a portal home. But they are not alone... And war in Azeroth has taken a completely new turn. GaryXMisty, AshXOC. Sequel Available.
1. Into Azeroth

"Well… This is odd," Ash said, blinking.

"What is?" Misty asked.

"I've reached a major landmark in my training… And… Gary isn't here to gloat about how he got there first."

"Maybe he's so far ahead you haven't caught up yet. Or perhaps you're ahead of him for once."

"I doubt it. Usually he waits so he can be _just_ far enough ahead to taunt me. This isn't like him to not be here."

There was only silence. The next time they found themselves in a pokemon center, contacting the Professor, they made a point to ask about Gary. As it turned out, Professor Oak hadn't heard from him either, for over a week.

"So he's missing?" Misty asked.

"Yes, and I'm beginning to worry about him… It's not like Gary to just vanish. He usually draws attention, rather than trying to avoid it," the Professor replied, thoughtfully…

XXX

Gary was far from Kanto, very far. He leapt over a fallen log, panting, cape snapping about wildly behind him as he ran as fast as he could. He glanced over his shoulder. The ghoul was gaining on him. The boy muttered something under his breath; there was a flash of light and he vanished. The ghoul looked around, confused. Gary pressed himself up against the tree, not daring to move a muscle.

XXX

Misty suddenly froze. "Ash… do you see that?"

The boy stared in confusion and awe at the blue crack in the fabric of reality a short distance away. "What is it?" he whispered, going toward it.

"I don't know…" she replied, also whispering. "What are you doing?!"

"Going closer to get a better look, what's it look like?"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Possibly," Ash muttered, as he reached out and touched the shimmering blue oval that had spread out in front of him. His hand went through. "It feels like water…"

This caught Misty's attention. She, too, put her hand through it, and looked around the back. "My hand doesn't come out on the other side…"

"It's a portal!"

"I… didn't think that kind of magic existed… I guess, theoretically, a psychic pokemon could open a portal… What are you doing?!"

"I'm going through," he said, stepping through. It was too late for Misty to stop him.

"Not without me you're not," she muttered, following him.

XXX

"Where… are we?" Ash asked, looking around the dark, gloomy forest. Pikachu looked just as baffled.

"You idiot. Think, _then_ act! Don't act, then think!"

"Well if this was such a bad idea, why'd you follow me?"

"To keep you from getting into trouble," Misty grumbled, glaring at her friend.

"I don't nee-" Ash was cut off by a howl. They both froze. Misty reached for a pokeball and gasped.

"I-I only have one pokeball!"

"Uh! All mine are gone too!" The howling was getting closer. Misty called out her only pokemon, vaporeon. It was immediately caught in the jaws of a huge wolf. It turned into water and melted out of the creature's jaws, reforming underneath it. The wolf snarled.

"What is that?!" Ash yelped.

"Is it a pokemon? I've never seen anything quite like that."

Vaporeon and the wolf circled, growling. Suddenly the wolf lunged and tore into vaporeon's shoulder. It cried out as the wolf threw it against a tree. The pokemon slumped, defeated. The wolf didn't stop attacking. It approached, snarling.

"Pikachu, help vaporeon!" Ash ordered. His pokemon jumped down and shocked the wolf. The starved canine spun around with a yelp and ran at the electric mouse, barking. Pikachu jumped out of the way; the wolf ignored it and jumped at Ash. A fireball suddenly sent it flying the other way. It landed on its side as a figure in a blue cape ran out in front of the trainers, holding a staff in one hand. The wolf snarled and tried to get up, but the figure raised a hand and the wolf was struck down by a bolt of ice, killing it.

"What are you two doing here?!" the figure said, turning. It was Gary. He was wearing a blue tunic decorated with gold filigree on the chest, borders, and shoulders. He had a matching belt, slightly darker blue pants, and similarly colored boots.

"Gary?! Where are we? What are you doing here? What's with the weird outfit?" Ash asked, completely lost. Gary sighed.

"It's a long, long story. This is a dangerous place; the animals here are not pokemon, and you can't expect them to play nice. They can and will kill you. Come on, both of you, with me. We're going to Darkshire."


	2. Starwisp

The three young trainers followed a road through the creepy, dark woods, until they came to a hauntingly pretty town that must have been lovely at one time, but now was overtaken by shadows. The people gave the newcomers odd looks. Gary led them to a particularly large building with a sign reading '_Scarlet Raven Inn_'.

"Welcome back, Gary," a female voice said, "you've got new companions. More of the Lost from your world?"

"Hello Starwisp. Yeah, they fell into Azeroth too, it seems."

"Who's she? _What_ is she?" Ash exclaimed, blinking in shock at the girl who'd greeted Gary.

"I'm a night elf," Starwisp replied. She was tall, dressed in leather and feathers. Her skin was tinted purple, her eyes glowed silver, and her hair was long and deep blue. A grey owl sat on her shoulder. She looked about seventeen, though in reality, she was over three hundred years old. She sighed and hung her head, troubled. "First the undead begin to grow in power, now portals are opening up randomly, all by themselves, into other worlds. So many of the Lost are falling through them. I fear Azeroth, at this rate, may have the same fate as Outland."

Gary shuddered. "We'll put a stop to this before it gets that bad. Besides, they're not all opening up at the same time, so the magic of this world shouldn't overload like Outland…"

"Will someone please explain what's going on?" Misty asked. Gary and Starwisp looked at her, both with troubled expressions on their faces. The young mage began to explain, a weary look on his face.

"This is a world of magic, called Azeroth. Right now we're in Duskwood. I was preparing to flee back to Elwynn Forest, because the walking dead here are too strong for me to handle."

"So you mean everything from the fairy tales exists here?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Gary said, "I myself am a mage in training. Magic, elves, zombies, it all exists here. This isn't the world of pokemon. This is a dangerous world. And we might never go home…"

"_What?_" the two newcomers exclaimed.

"That's why I'm training with magic…" Gary said, hanging his head, "in hopes that some day I'll be able to open a portal to our own world…"

"At any rate," the night elf said, "your friends will need weapons and armor to protect themselves. Your beasts – your 'pokemon' – won't be enough to protect you here…"

"So you know about the pokemon?" Ash asked.

"I have one with me. Somehow he managed to get through the portal with me, just like both of you have one with you," Gary said, calling out an absol.

"I'm so confused," Misty said. She sighed and let her injured vaporeon out of its pokeball.

"I was, too, when I first arrived. You'll get used to it. This world… it's both terrifying and wonderful. Sometimes, it's dangerous and frightening… but sometimes it's more beautiful than you can imagine… Anyway, as Starwisp said, you'll need weapons. And we should probably get your pokemon healed. That wolf did quite a bit of damage…"

"Where are we going to do that?"

"I know of only one place… Stormwind City…"

"There are several other major cities in this world… My home city of Darnassus is on Kalimdor…" Starwisp commented.

"I hope to see much of Azeroth before we leave," Gary said, smiling a bit, "including your beloved Darnassus. More than anything here, though… I'd like to see Dalaran someday," the young mage said, an almost dreamy look on his face.

"I'm sure you will, Gary. For now, take your friends to Stormwind to be trained. But first… Come with me…"

The beautiful night elf stood and led them to the forge. She bought a pair of simple daggers for Ash and Misty, and gave them to the trainers.

"Use these wisely," she said, as she pressed the hilts lightly into the teens' hands, "though I hope you won't have to."

"Thank you, Starwisp…" Ash said, fascinated by the strange, elegant creature.

"Come," the mage said, "I would like to get to Stormwind… Thanks for everything, Starwisp…" The graceful huntress gave a night elf salute, which Gary returned.

"I will be in Westfall if you need me," the elf said, as she left.

The group turned and departed along the road, Gary leading the way.

"He's changed," Misty whispered to Ash.

"I noticed."

Gary looked over his shoulder, having overheard what they'd said. "A week and a half in Azeroth does that to you… It beats the cruel immaturity out of you; it teaches you not to get too cocky. I've learned more about myself in ten days here than in fourteen years in our own world, I think." Suddenly he stopped. "Ooooh, no…."

"What is it?"

"Something big!" Gary was suddenly alert. Absol growled, the fur on his neck standing up. His master turned to see what he was looking at, and the mage's eyes grew wide. "Prepare for battle!" he yelled, his hands bursting into flames. Ash and Misty pulled out the daggers Starwisp had given them, but froze in shock when they saw what was coming at them. A huge abomination, made of many corpses stitched crudely together, was lumbering toward them. A fireball struck it in the gut, and it came at Gary. Ice exploded from around his feet, locking the abomination in place. There was a flash of light as the boy teleported behind it and began casting another fireball. Misty unfroze and instinctively lunged at the undead monster. It swiped at her with the huge chain in its hand, but she dodged easily and agilely.

"Help us out, here, Ash!" she yelled, stabbing at the threads that held the abomination together. Absol bit down on the thigh of the construct and refused to let go.

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" the trainer ordered, finally joining the fray himself, catching a thread on the monster's arm with his dagger, slicing the critical tie and thus removing a limb from the monster. The thunderbolt hit almost immediately, causing the abomination's remaining two limbs to fly outwards. The chain in one hand struck Gary across the chest just as his fireball exploded on the monster. The mage was sent flying against a tree.

"Gary?"

"I'm fine! Misty, look out!" the mage got to his feet. Misty spun and saw the axe coming down at her just in time. She darted out of the way and severed another crucial thread. The abomination toppled over. Absol tackled the girl out of the way as the monster landed where she'd been standing. The undead beast moved slower and slower, until it finally came to a complete standstill, having fallen apart too much to continue functioning. Gary smiled at his friends.

"Good job. Especially you, Misty. I think I know exactly what you two should train as…"


	3. Knighthood

Ash and Misty stared up around them in awe at the huge statues at the entrance to Stormwind City. They ignored the odd looks the people were giving them, too busy giving odd looks to everything else around them.

"What are you two looking at?" Gary asked, chuckling, "This is just the entrance. Stormwind itself is beyond those arches."

"Whoa…"

Gary led the way into the city of white stone. "Ash, you should be a warrior, I think. You seem naturally skilled with weapons and I really can't see you having the tact for anything else…"

"Oh, gee, thanks," the trainer replied sarcastically.

"No problem," the mage said, equally sarcastically.

"What about me?" Misty asked, "And what about healing vaporeon?"

"_You_ should be a paladin, I think. A warrior of the Light who specializes in killing demons and undead, and healing his or her allies. I saw how good you were against the abomination back in Duskwood…"

"Thanks?"

After stopping to ask a guard where warriors would train, the group dropped Ash off to get some decent armor and training. As he left, Gary handed Ash a few gold coins and took Misty to the Cathedral of Light to learn the ways of the paladin, stopping at an armory on the way to buy a suit of simple chainmail, a sword, and a shield. Finally, they arrived at the Cathedral. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

"Welcome," a priest greeted them.

Gary bowed his head respectfully. "Hello. My friend here seeks training as a paladin."

"Then you should speak with Katherine the Pure."

XXX

The group gathered again at the entrance to stormwind. Misty had simple chain and plate armor, a wooden shield, a simple white cape, and a sword, but still looked like she could perform fairly well in a fight. Ash had similar armor, but his cape was burgundy and instead of a shield, he had a second sword.

"Well," now that we have a basic grasp of our skills," the new paladin said, "maybe we should go test our abilities?"

"Hm… and you'll need supplies… I'll need to introduce you to healing and mana potions… And accessing the plane of storage…"

"Plane of storage? Mana?" Ash asked, blinking cluelessly.

"We need to carry a lot of things with us, so there's a spell that pretty much everyone uses to access their bag of things," Gary explained, casting a spell that caused a backpack to materialize in front of him. He opened it, and pulled out a flask of blue liquid. "Mana is magical energy. You don't need to worry about or understand it, Ash, but Misty and I do, because we'll both be casting spells. Misty, you'll eventually be able to sense how much mana you have. But first, we need to get some potions for you, and I'll have to show you how to access the storage. We'll just use mine, rather than getting you both your own."

As the group walked to goldshire, Gary explained the basics of mana, alternate storage planes, and other such details.

"Where are you taking us?" Ash suddenly asked.

"We need supplies, and I think I know the best place to get them. We're going to steal them from the Defias."

"What?! We can't do that!" Misty exclaimed.

"Oh yes we can," the mage replied, "the Defias are a gang of thieves. Imagine Team Rocket with knives and coordination. The Defias steal things, take over land, and kill innocent people. We're going to raid them, and steal back what they stole."

"Shouldn't we return those things to their proper owners, though?"

"It's too late for that, there's no hope of tracing the items back to their rightful owners. Better we steal them than let the Defias use them."


	4. The Defias

Gary looked at a wanted poster for a minute, before saying to the group, "There's a bounty on the Defias. For every red bandana, four silver coins. That's a nice deal."

"Whoa, wait a minute, Gary," Misty said, "are you suggesting we… ki-kill them?"

Gary did not turn, instead, he merely stated calmly, "Killing is something you're going to have to get used to, Misty. These are war-torn lands."

"But-"

"It's easy to say killing is wrong when you don't _have_ to do it."

Even Ash was shocked that Gary could be _this_ cold. "Since when have you been so heartless?"

The mage folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head downward, still facing away from the group. "Wisdom and maturity aren't the only things Azeroth beats into you…" And with that, Gary simply wandered away. Ash and Misty simply looked at each other, blinking in confusion. When the mage finally returned, nobody said a word. Gary broke the silence after a minute.

"Are you ready? You're going to have to kill sooner or later; better you do it now than try for the first time when a dragon's about to eat you."

"A-alright…" Misty forced herself to say it.

"Sometimes you have to do things that are morally grey for the greater good," the mage said, trying to comfort her, "I know it's hard. It was hard for me too. It will never be easy, and I will never enjoy it. But it is something I've grown used to. You see… that's something Azeroth teaches you really fast: there is no clear line between good and evil. Much of the world is not black and white; it's mostly shades of grey. An action cannot be defined as good or evil one-hundred percent of the time. Sure, they can lean toward good or toward evil – killing definitely _leans toward_ evil – but good and evil are defined by intentions, circumstances, and a myriad of other factors. You _will_ doubt your own morality. But the feelings of guilt and doubt will pass, and in time, you'll understand…"

"I… had no idea you were so… deep…"

Gary said nothing. He considered smiling to try to raise her spirits, but the topic was too serious. He kept a straight face.

"I'm ready," Ash said, after a long silence.

"As am I," the paladin said, self-doubt in her voice.

"Keep your spirits up, Misty," the mage told her.

XXX

The lone thief did not see the three adventurers on the ledge above him. Gary began to cast a fireball spell, while his allies gathered their courage. The fireball flew at the Defias warrior; there was no turning back now.

"Go now!" Gary commanded, as his absol leapt down upon the man.

"A chance to test this newly sharpened blade!" the man said, ignoring the pain from the fireball. He slashed the absol's chest with his sword, sending it flying backwards with a yelp. "Is that the best you can do, warlock? What demon is that?" the Defias man scoffed.

"_Mage! I am a mage!_" Gary yelled in irritation, firing off a series of arcane missiles just to prove his point.

Misty looked at the fallen pokemon, and made her decision. She skidded down the slope, sword and shield ready. She stabbed at the man, who parried the blow, even while wincing at the magical spears that rained down on him. He threw a knife with his free hand; it struck the mage in the chest and he fell to his knees.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine; keep fighting! Ash, what are you doing still up here? Get down there and help her!"

Ash snapped out of the shock and nodded. He felt his courage falter for a moment as he leapt down the slope to aid his friend. Misty held up her shield as the thief brought his sword down at her. The warrior faltered as he raised his weapons. Could he really kill a man?

"Ash, help!" Misty urged him as she blocked a stab with her own sword.

The boy shut his eyes tightly and forced himself to lunge. There was a sickening sound and feel as the swords entered the rogue's side. The man let out a moan as he died. Both Ash and Misty's eyes were blank and unfocused. They twitched slightly.

They'd killed for the first time.


	5. Hardened Hearts

The group was silent and serious, even in the lighthearted atmosphere of Lion's Pride Inn. Ash was beginning to recover from the shock of killing, though a small shadow of guilt would forever remain in the deepest recesses of his heart. Misty, however, was not taking it well at all. After a while, she left the inn and stood outside, at the edge of Goldshire, staring into the forest, questioning her moral alignment. Was she truly a good person? Was she worthy of the title _Paladin_? What was good? What was evil? She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see who it was.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," the mage said.

"Gary…"

"I know. I know exactly what you're thinking and feeling. It's hard, I know. But we have to do what we have to do. It will pass. You're a good person, and the fact that you're feeling guilt proves that. Azeroth is torn apart by war. Sometimes we need to kill, just to survive. Sometimes we all need to do things we consider 'wrong'. As long as we don't think nothing of it… as long as we only do these 'wrong' things when we must, and avoid them when we can… as long as we acknowledge the severity of these actions… we don't need to question ourselves."

She nodded at him. "Thanks…"

"The fact that it troubles you means you have no reason to be troubled. If you _weren't_ questioning yourself, _then_ I'd be worried. But it'll all be okay, Misty. It'll all be okay…" He smiled comfortingly. "I'm going back to the inn for the night. See you tomorrow." Gary turned and walked away, cape flowing calmly and regally behind him.

Misty spent several hours thinking about what he'd said, and after a while, she smiled. He was right. She'd always feel guilty, deep down, but she didn't need to stress herself over it. What had to be done, had to be done. She sighed and returned to the inn.

XXX

The paladin rose early and went quietly down the stairs. Gary and Ash were the only ones up.

"Good morning, Misty. You feeling better?"

"Yeah… Thanks, Gary. How are the two of you?"

"Fine, I suppose."

"I'm good," Ash said. He was still in a bit of shock from the previous day's events.

"I feel horrible saying this, but we're going to need to do a lot more killing today… Hopefully you two won't be so impacted by it… I mean, it should never be _easy_, but you'll need to be used to it…"

"I think… I can manage, today…" Misty replied.

"Good. Today we head for Westfall. They're having trouble with the Defias. If we're going to be killing members of that gang for the reward, we may as well do it where it matters; the people of Westfall need all the help they can get. I'm sure, your consciences won't bother you so much if we're saving more people than we're killing."

"If we're saving people," the paladin said, "then I'm all for it."

XXX

The three adventurers walked along the dusty road to Sentinel Hill, Westfall. The golden, dry grasses around them contrasted sharply with the warm, lush forest they'd been in a while back.

"Strange weather patterns out here," Ash said.

"Azeroth has… _patchwork geography_, if you will…" Gary explained, "You get used to it real fast." He pointed at a tower on the horizon. "Look, there's the town."

"Why's it so barren out here?"

"From what I hear, this was once a thriving farm community. But the Defias drove everyone away, and a drought left the land as devoid of plant life as the thieves had left it of people."

"The more I learn about the Defias," Misty stated, "the less I regret what happened back in Elwynn."

The mage acknowledged her statement with a silent nod. He had nothing to say on the subject. They continued to Sentinel Hill, where a large tower stood watch.

Gary saluted the man standing at the base of the tower respectfully. "Hello. We're here to help out with the Defias situation. What can we do for the people of Westfall?"

"Aren't you a bit young to be hiring yourselves out as mercenaries?" Gryan Stoutmantle asked, one eyebrow raised.

"We're fourteen, I think that's old enough," Ash replied.

"Well, if you're so eager to help," the old paladin said, "you could always aid us in trying to find out where their hideout is. Try intercepting their messenger; the scouts say he's usually found along the western path. And as always, there is a bounty on their masks."

As the group continued toward the coast, a shadow passed over them.

"Pika, pika, pika!" the electric mouse began to vocalize and call attention to the shadow. Ash looked up; a familiar grey owl was circling above them. It hooted a few times.

"Starwisp must be in the area," the warrior stated, with a smile. The group stopped and waited until a familiar night elf appeared. "Hey Starwisp!"

"Ishnu-alah, young ones. What have you been up to? Out for the bounty on the Defias?"

"Yes. Care to join us?"

Starwisp nodded. "Aeroth, keep scouting," she ordered her owl. It hooted again and continued searching the area. The four adventurers walked along the dusty western road. The sea breezes kept them cool. Misty wandered over to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the beach. She was about to climb down when Gary grabbed her cape and held her back.

"The beaches of Azeroth are not safe. They belong to the murlocs." The mage pointed at a creature moving along the beach; it appeared to be a mix of frog, fish, and man. The paladin was slowly beginning to understand what Gary had meant when he'd said that this world was dangerous and wartorn, and that one had to kill or be killed. This was not Kanto. This was a harsh, cruel land.

Aeroth flew back to the group and flopped onto the ground rather than landed at Starwisp's feet. He picked himself up clumsily and hooted as he shook the dust out of his feathers, puffing up and not doing much to repair his dignity. The elf put her hand on her face. The warrior of the group could not help but laugh at the bird. It turned and stared at him blankly, hooting again.

"Well, someone's coming, so we'd best hide…" the huntress stated, "there, behind that rock."

The others did as they were told, but Stawisp herself did not hide.

"What are you doing?" Ash inquired.

"Shhh! You'll see…" the elf replied. She crouched and her body faded out of sight. Minutes later, a man in a red bandana passed by. As he walked by where starwisp had been standing, an arrow struck him in the back; the elf was visible again, holding her bow and reaching for another arrow. "Attack, but don't kill!"

The warrior instantly followed the huntress' orders, leaping out and tackling the man to the ground. There was a flash of light as Gary teleported out from behind the rock. A wave of ice spread out from around his feet, rooting the man in place and stopping just before it would have caught Ash and Starwisp as well. Misty walked over and put her sword against the man's throat.

"Where's your base, Defias?" the paladin questioned, glaring at the man.

"You'll never hear it from me!"

"Perhaps," Gary said, pulling out his pokeball, "he needs some extra _persuasion_…" He let absol out of its pokeball.

"What is that?"

Gary merely grinned as his pokemon growled at the man, the fur on its neck standing up. "Some might call it a demon. Others may call it a wolf. I call him absol. And he can do _terrible things_ to you…"

The Defias messenger looked terrified. "Alright, alright! I'll take you there, just don't let that monster do anything!"

"Don't worry. Take us to the hideout and I won't let him hurt you. He listens to me," Gary said, carefully directing a beam of fire at the ice to melt it and free the man. Starwisp held her bow and arrow at the ready as she walked behind the messenger, ready to shoot if he attempted to escape. Ash, Misty, and Gary formed a loose semi-circle behind the man as absol walked next to him, using its intimidating presence to keep him in line as he lead the way.

At last, they came upon a deserted town. Or rather, it appeared deserted; there were several Defias members skulking about.

"Our hideout is in the barn. There's a secret tunnel there, into the deadmines. VanCleef leads us from the mines."

"Anything else?" Starwisp asked.

"Nothing! Just let me go!" the man pleaded.

There was a long silence before Gary nodded.

XXX

"So, you say you've found their hideout? Well done. I have another task for you, if you're up to it. I'd like you to bring me the head of Edwin VanCleef."

Misty attempted not to shudder at the thought of beheading a man. What scared her more than the idea itself was that she didn't find the concept quite so horrifying as she felt she should have. Gary had been right, one could get used to killing. Her heart had been hardened.

"I accept the challenge," Starwisp stated.

"I do too," Ash immediately said.

Gary looked at Misty as though to ask if she was ready. She nodded silently, and he agreed as well.

XXX

The group slipped around behind the old inn, past the graveyard – if there was one thing they'd learned in their time in Azeroth, it was to avoid graveyards at all costs due to the high likelihood of undead being found within – and up to the tree that stood between the inn and the barn. Defias members slinked about in front of them.

"Okay," Gary whispered, "when I say go, Starwisp will shoot the one with the black hair, I'll conjure up a flamestrike on those two mages over there, Ash will attack that last one by the entrance, and Misty will stand back and heal us should we get hurt."

"I like that, standing back and healing instead of taking an active role in the fight," the paladin replied in a low whisper.

"Well good, 'cause that's your job. Ready? … Go!"

Arrows zipped through the air, fire burst up from the very ground, and a silent warrior ran forth and stabbed a man through the back with two swords. Everything went according to plan; the group successfully assassinated the guards without drawing attention from any other denizens of Moonbrook.

"That went surprisingly well," the mage stated, placing a hand on his chin thoughtfully.

"We ready?" Ash asked.

"You're eager for combat," Gary observed. The warrior merely nodded – Azeroth was beginning to unlock the bloodlust in him. The mage thought for a moment. "Just remember, you're killing. Keep that in the back of your mind. Never let it get too easy."

XXX

The group slipped through the dark tunnels, fighting their way deeper and deeper into the deadmines. Miners attacked with pickaxes, but were quickly turned back by Ash's twin swords and Starwisp's dagger and clawed glove. The two of them created a wall in the narrow passages, limiting the number of miners that could fight at a time, while Misty stood back and kept them both alive with a stream of constant healing spells. More eager fighters were backed up behind the Defias miners. Flames erupted from the walls and ground as Gary turned the world around him into a blazing inferno. Misty called out vaporeon, whose body was naturally resistant to flames. The water pokemon darted between the legs of the fighters and began to attack from amidst the flames. Pikachu stood just behind its master, doing its best to keep Ash from being outnumbered. In this way, they pushed through the tunnels; a great mobile wall of fury and magic.

Only when the Defias countered with their own mages did the group begin to worry. Ice spells froze vaporeon where she stood, and Gary was locked in combat with another mage, countering one another's spells in a series of explosions of fire, frost, and the arcane. Absol attempted to help its master, but was frozen to the ground by a wave of ice. It barked furiously, unable to fight. Starwisp stood back, her arrows striking the enemy mages, but they had some kind of invisible armor that kept them relatively safe. Her owl sat on her shoulder.

"Attack, you stupid bird!" she screamed; the owl finally took flight and started clawing at the wizard who was fighting Gary. It was promptly turned into a sheep.

Ash tried to attack the other mage, but had difficulty getting close enough. Fireballs burned him painfully and icy chains kept his agility to a minimum. Misty felt her power draining as she tried to heal all of her friends. Absol broke free of the ice and leapt upon the Defias mage fighting his master. Bones snapped as teeth sank through flesh. Gary looked to his side. The warrior and paladin fought on. There was something about Misty – an aura? – that filled his heart with valiance and the will to continue, a sort of devotion to the cause.

"Heal me!" Ash called out.

"I can't!" the paladin replied.

"_What?_"

Gary skillfully pulled a flask of blue liquid out of the storage plane and tossed it to the girl. "Drink this; it'll restore your mana!"

"_Heal me now!_" the warrior yelped urgently as Misty drank the mana potion and continued her healing spells. Gary threw a frostbolt at the Defias mage, slowing him down. The swords finally connected with the man's chest and he fell to the ground. Everyone in the group was panting. The mage conjured a few bottles of water.

"Here."

Misty healed the pokemon and sat down with the others to recover.


	6. The Deadmines

The group pressed onward. Suddenly everyone but Ash froze. The warrior continued a few steps before Starwisp grabbed him by the cape and yanked him back.

"Shhh," the elf whispered, putting a finger to her lips, "there's an ogre ahead…"

Gary silently slinked forward, his back against a wall. He peered around the corner and let out a very quiet gasp as he whipped back around the wall. The ogre had almost seen him. He gulped and slipped back over to the group. "He's got two bodyguards."

"Well," Ash asked, "what's the plan?"

"Uh?" Gary looked somewhat startled as he looked at each member of the group, all of whom were looking expectantly at him. "Since when was I the leader?"

"You've been our leader all along, Gary," the paladin said, "That's the job you gave yourself by taking charge, whether you meant to or not." The mage blinked a few time, then nodded. The look of confusion left his face as he assumed an aura of command. The boy thought for a minute, imagining how the fight would proceed.

"Alright, here's the battle-plan. Starwisp, your owl will distract the guard on the right, and I'll polymorph the guy on the left. Then all of us but Misty will attack the ogre, with our pokemon, while she stands back and heals. Sound like a plan?"

There was a general nod of agreement. Gary gave the signal; the owl flew at its target, while the other bodyguard became a very confused looking sheep.

"VanCleef pay Rhahk'Zor big for your heads!" the ogre shouted as it ran toward the group, swinging its great wooden warhammer around.

"Don't think so, fatso!" Starwisp replied, dodging the great weapon and stabbing with her dagger. She was amazingly agile and beautiful in combat, yet she had a feral feel about her, in the typical night elf fashion. Even she, however, couldn't avoid everything. A blow to the side sent her flying. She crashed against the wall near the man who was fighting her owl, drawing his attention. He ignored the bird and attacked the elf.

"Pikachu, help Starwisp!" Ash ordered. Pikachu stopped zapping the ogre and aided the night elf huntress.

The ogre, now that it no longer had to deal with an electric rat, was free to focus its attentions on the boy throwing fire at it. It raised its hammer up; Gary's eyes widened. At the last moment, he remembered his ability to teleport. The ogre's hammer missed its target. The mage laughed, feeling fairly smug.

"Look out!" Misty yelled. He turned just in time to see that his polymorph spell had worn off. The Defias man came at him with both daggers raised, and was tackled out of the air by a great, white animal. The two combatants rolled across the ground until the pokemon stood on top. Absol snarled, having pinned down the man who had threatened his beloved master. Gary redirected his attentions back to the ogre. It was about to bring its hammer down on him and he wasn't able to cast blink again just yet, having depleted his mana. Rhahk'Zor was not expecting the warrior with twin swords to fly at him from the side. He moaned as he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Uh… Thanks, Ash…"

"No problem," the warrior said. He turned to the great doors. "We should be able to get those open if we work together." Gary nodded. The group had a quick recovery break before all pushing against the giant doors. They creaked open.

XXX

"Alright," the mage whispered, there he is… He's got… it looks like… four guards? The owl and our three pokemon can take care of them while we kill VanCleef himself, then we'll help out with the guards."

"That's a rather direct approach," Misty pointed out.

"I know. The more complicated a plan, the more things could go wrong," Gary replied, with a smirk. The paladin sighed as the mage checked to make sure everyone was ready. "Alright… ready? Now!"

Absol was the first into VanCleef's area; the swift, silent, graceful pokemon dashed in like a great, deadly wolf. It leapt up and knocked one of the guards to the floor. The guard next him dropped to the ground, struck by a thunderbolt. Vaporeon ran in after the other pokemon and jumped up onto a third man's face, clawing and biting at him as he frantically tried to get her off. The fourth guard and the Defias leader himself came at the group.

"_Attack, you stupid bird!_" Starwisp screamed, literally throwing the confused owl off her shoulder. After a moment of hovering it figured out what she wanted from it, and with a squawk, began to claw at the guard's face.

"Lapdogs, all of you!" VanCleef said, as he lunged at Ash, who blocked the blades with his own swords. Gary began to cast a fireball spell as starwisp started firing arrows, some of which glowed with arcane light and others with green poison.

The beasts fought tooth, beak, magic, and nail against the guards. They had no fear of death; if they fell the paladin would resurrect them. They had _nothing_ to lose but their masters, and so nothing was holding them back; they put everything they had into distracting the guards.

As a frostbolt made contact with the Defias Kingpin, it drew his attention off the furious and brave warrior and onto the mage – a much easier target. More powerful, but easier to kill. Gary's eyes widened and he reacted like every other mage would: he froze himself in a giant block of ice. Ash came at VanCleef from behind, but was sent flying to the floor. A man came up to the fallen warrior, raising a dagger. Pikachu leapt onto its master's chest protectively, crackling with electricity.

"Stay away from the mage!" a female voice suddenly said, commandingly. Wings and a crown of light appeared on the group's paladin for a moment, followed by a hammer-shaped beam of light striking VanCleef from out of the sky. Misty had taught herself her first judgement spell.

The guard that pikachu had been fighting fell to the ground as a particularly powerful thunderbolt struck him. The warrior leapt to his feet and charged at the Defias leader, just as Gary's ice block spell wore off, thus saving the mage again. VanCleef continued to fight Ash, ignoring the poisonous arrows that were already weakening him. Starwisp turned her attention to the guards, helping the struggling pokemon and the owl, bringing down the last of the weakened guards. Another beam of light from the sky, and VanCleef collapsed. "Fools! Our cause… is righteous!"

Starwisp, a bit too casually, walked over to the fallen Defias leader and – much to the group's disgust – beheaded him.

"Hey, someone's gotta do it."

"Uh… yeah," Gary said. Even he was a little bit squeamish at that idea. "Ah, let's get back to Sentinel Hill. Heal everyone up on the way out, Misty. Good job, all of you."


	7. Dark Omens

"We're heroes now," Misty muttered, staring straight ahead as the group approached the bridge back into Duskwood, "aren't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so," the mage replied.

"A different kind of hero," Ash said.

"What?"

"It's different from the heroes we were back in Kanto…"

"Everything's different in Azeroth," Gary stated.

"And yet… I'm starting to get used to it," the young paladin mused. She didn't notice that the mage was watching her. There was a long silence as the group wandered along the path through the terrifying forest. Glowing eyes watched them from inside the plants along the dreary roads, wolves howled in the distance, and here and there, mysterious things – undead? – moved about in the darkness.

"Welcome back to Duskwood," Gary mumbled, walking side by side with Misty, both of them glancing about nervously. Ash followed at the back of the group, just behind Starwisp, looking uneasily over his shoulder from time to time. The night elf was the only one who didn't seem too anxious, though she was still alert, presumably because she'd spend a lot of time there before Gary had showed up. At any rate, the warrior felt _much_ safer with the huntress around. She knew what she was doing!

"There," the elf said, pointing at faint firelight, "Darkshire's only a little ways away."

XXX

"Well," Ash said, "maybe we should look around and see if the people need help?"

"The people of Darkshire always need help, Ash," the elf replied, calmly, "Stormwind's all but abandoned them; the kingdom's up to its neck in issues and Duskwood is low on the priority list."

The group found themselves talking to a strange old woman in a blue dress.

"Something present here has the same ability to foresee future danger as I do," she said, apparently sensing the absol's presence even though he was in his pokeball. Gary let him out.

"You mean absol?"

"Yes… this strange creature has the same aura about him…" the woman said. Absol whined and wagged his tail halfheartedly. He continued to whimper as she stroked his pure white fur. "He confirms my suspicions that something dark is coming, that Darkshire may be in grave danger – and more-so than usual."

Gary, Misty, and Ash all exchanged 'this person is crazy' looks. The woman continued to speak, as though having a conversation with the whining absol.

"Yes, yes… Stalvan… You say you, too, have felt the return of a great evil? … Yes, I know not where this Stalvan name is coming from… but I keep hearing it… You say you felt something greater than that? Hm…" The woman stood up and stopped petting the pokemon. "At any rate, you youngsters should try to find out more about this Stalvan. We could all be in very grave danger if you don't."

The group continued to exchange glances, before Starwisp calmly accepted the mission. As the group headed out, she explained. "Madame Eva may seem nuts, but I've seen her be proven right enough times in the past that I trust the old woman's words."

They walked over to the town hall, to ask about any Stalvans in the town registry.

"Stalvan… Stalvan… Ah, Stalvan Mistmantle… My! Talk about outdated!" the clerk said, "says he used to teach in the Moonbrook schoolhouse! Oh, wait a minute, looks like he was on his way to Goldshire… maybe you should go there if you want to find out more."

"Thank you," the mage said, as he led the way out. "Any excuse to leave this forest. I hate Duskwood…"

"I don't blame you," Ash mumbled.

XXX

"Welcome back to Lion's Pride tavern!" the innkeeper said, recognizing the three young human adventurers. "And good day, good lady night elf!"

"Hello Farley," Misty said to the man. The three adventurers had gotten to know him a bit during their short stay in Elwynn Forest. "We came to ask you if you knew anything about a man named Stalvan Mistmantle…"

"Hm… The name Stalvan rings a bell. I remember now. Many years back, on a stormy night, a messenger came in, seeking refuge for the night. Near the stroke of midnight, the man ran down the stairs screaming, his face pale with fear. Still wearing his bedclothes, he disappeared into the downpour. In his haste, he left his letters and never came back for them. I kept them in case anyone ever came for them… I think one was from that Stalvan… Hang on a minute and I'll get it for you."

"You know, Starwisp," Gary stated, "I'm beginning to think you're right. There's definitely something _weird _going on here about this Stalvan guy…"

The innkeeper returned with an old, dusty letter. "Here you go. It was addressed to a man in the Canal District of Stormwind. Perhaps you young adventurers would be willing to deliver it after all these years?"

XXX

The door opened and the four travelers peered in. A young man gave them a questioning look. "Excuse me, is there a Mr. Folsom here?" Starwisp asked.

"You mean me or my father? Do I know you?" the man said.

"We have an old letter addressed to a Mr. Folsom, from Stalvan Mistmantle…"

"Oh… _that_…" Folsom Jr. wrinkled his nose. "My father was the caretaker of the estate long before I was. He had to mop the blood up after the massacre. But now the funds have run out and the last of the family possessions are headed for auction. Blame the tax vultures. I guess if you're really itching to learn more you're free to look through this junk. Who knows what you might find?" He invited the group into the house and pointed at a pile of boxes.

"Thanks," the elf said, as the group began to rummage through the objects.

After a few minutes, Gary spoke up. "Hey guys, check it out. I found part of an old journal… 'This week I will accompany the family to their summer cottage near the Eastvale Logging Camp in Elwynn, close to the Red Ridge Mountains. I hope to write more while there' it says. I guess we'll head over to Eastvale. Man, talk about a wild goose chase!"

"Yeah, really," the warrior replied. "Thank you, Mr. Folsom."

"Well, we're just _that_ much closer to solving the mystery of Stalvan Mistmantle. I'm quite enjoying this! Anyway, before we go, maybe you two should get some better armor. We did make quite a bit of gold back in Westfall."

XXX

Ash returned in a rather cool looking outfit: blue-grey plate armor with grey chain mail where flexibility was needed. The belt and chestplate both had purple gems embedded in them, matching his new cape. He actually looked quite impressive, but not as awe-inspiring as the paladin.

Misty wore full plate armor, bright polished silver in color with elegant gold designs and a long, pale blue cape. She'd replaced her wooden buckler with a proper metal shield with the blue and gold lion of stormwind painted on it. She looked absolutely regal decked out in Lawbringer armor.

"Nice armor, Ash," Starwisp snickered, "You look like a draenei."

"Thanks?"

"Whoa, you guys," Gary said, laughing a bit, "when I said upgrade your armor… I didn't mean… _that _much! But I'm not complaining! Misty, you look… _epic._"

"Epic? That's a new one," the paladin laughed.

"Heh…" The mage put one hand behind his neck and laughed. "Anyway, let's get back to work…"

XXX

The group asked around Eastvale Logging Camp, seeing if anyone knew anything about the journal page. Finally they came to an old man who, barely able to make out the letters, claimed to recognize the handwriting.

"There was a bundle of parchments in the chest upstairs when I moved into this place. I looked at them once when I first arrived but I gave up once the fog hazed over my peepers. They're still there. Go on upstairs" he said, nodding at his house, "and look for more on this Stalvan character. I'm pretty sure there's a faded journal page in a chest that might be of interest to you. Bring it to me and I'll help in any way I can."

The adventurers thanked Marshal Haggard and went inside to look around. Once Ash found the chest the man was talking about, they began to look through the pages. Another journal page came up. "Huh. Let's take this down to him and see what he thinks."

As the kids approached, the man squinted at the page the warrior was holding. "What's that you got there, sonny? Found a page that interests you?"

"Yeah." Ash read the journal page to the curious old man, before asking if he knew where they should go next.

"Well, back when I was leading the Stormwind Guard, we used to get drinks at the Scarlet Raven Tavern in Darkshire. The Innkeeper there, Smitts, was quite an expert on the local lore. Show him this page and see what he has to say about it."

"Thank you, Marshal Haggard!" Misty said.

XXX

"Hello," Starwisp greeted the innkeeper. He waved at the familiar night elf as he went about his work. "Smitts, we're investigating a little mystery, and Marshal Haggard wanted you to take a look at this!" The huntress placed the journal page on the table in front of the innkeeper.

"Ah, good ol' Marshal Haggard. Poor man's nearly blind. Well, let's take a look at this here page… Oh! By the Light, I _do_ recognize this handwriting!" He turned to the group with eyebrows raised. "I followed the legend of that Stalvan character for years. When those visiting nobles were slaughtered a few years back I went with Haggard to investigate. I found these muddy pages," he said, wandering into a back room and returning with a few more journal pages, "but we were never able to link the handwriting to that crazy man in the woods. Your trail of evidence proves his guilt. Take this to Commander Ebonlocke immediately and fill her in on what you've discovered!"

The group just looked at one another. "Things just keep getting more and more interesting," Gary muttered, as he led the way out to talk to Ebonlocke. "Excuse us, Commander, but we'd like you to take a look at something…"

"What? What's this? This had better be good, mage; I don't have time for nonsense." Gary handed over the pages of the journal. "Oh, my, you've proven yourselves to be quite the detectives, kids. Come with me."

Commander Ebonlocke took the group into a building and rummaged through some things until she found a bloodstained journal page. "If _this_ was written by the same Stalvan, it proves his guilt. Talk to the clerk, about the handwriting on these pages and on Stalvan's signature in the registry…"

After speaking to the man about the journal pages, the adventurers returned to the Commander to tell her that her suspicions were confirmed.

"Alright kids, I have a job for you; I want you to find Stalvan and bring him to justice. Many innocent people died by his hand and who knows what he's up to now. He was last seen simply wandering the woods. He may be dead by now. I want you to discover his fate; if he lives, kill him. If he is dead, it will be a pleasure to know that the threat has already passed. In either case, I'd like you to take his family ring to Madame Eva. It was her premonition that lead to this discovery."

"Do you have any more information for us?" Misty asked, "Any sort of clue as to where to start looking first?"

"Well, I'd suggest you try Mistmantle Manor to the north…"

XXX

"Not much of a manor, is it?" Ash asked as they approached the small building. Misty was leading the way; being a paladin she could deal better with the denizens of Duskwood better than anyone else in the group. Suddenly the mage let out a quiet gasp as he swung around behind a tree, grabbing the paladin by the cape and yanking her back over with him. She fell backwards against his chest for a moment before steadying herself, being sure to stay behind the tree and out of sight of whatever had scared him. Starwisp's instant reaction to Gary's sudden movement was to grab Ash by the arm and yank him aside too, hiding behind another tree.

"What's the matter?" the night elf whispered.

"I saw ghouls, two or three of them!" the mage said in a hushed but urgent tone. "They were coming this wa-" he froze when he heard the gurgling of a ghoul. It was getting closer. The undead beast slobbered and snarled, having seen and heard its prey. The members of the group pressed themselves against the trees. Ash was given plenty of room as the elf moved and shadowmelded. Misty backed up against Gary and both of them froze in fear. A fanged, rotting face suddenly appeared around the side of the tree and stared at both of them. Misty yelped and whipped out her sword instinctively. Gary simply blinked away and, now behind the beast, began to cast a fireball.

"Attack, you stupid bird!" Starwisp hissed, still shadowmelded. The owl hooted and flew down from the tree branch it had been sitting on.

Pikachu flew into action without needing an order. He began to charge up an electric attack as his master rushed forward to aid the paladin. An arrow zipped by the warrior as Starwisp revealed herself. Misty was able to hold the ghoul off with her shield, striking occasionally with her sword. Ash tried to distract the monster. A fireball flew past his head and the ghoul turned toward the mage. Gary cast frost nova and stepped back from the ghoul, which was now rooted to the ground by a thick sheet of ice. A hammer of light struck it with extreme force as the group's paladin repeated her judgement spell. The ice snapped and the ghoul was free; it turned and tried to attack Misty, but Ash got in the way and fended it off with his twin blades. What no one was expecting was for Starwisp to put her bow on her back and whip out her dagger. She came out of nowhere, slashing the ghoul's arm with her claw-glove and stabbing it with the knife. It turned and tried to bite her, giving the warrior an opportunity to strike its neck. The sword came down; the ghoul's head rolled along the ground and the body crumpled.

"Heh!"

"Uh, don't celebrate just yet, Ash!" Gary said. He was able to release absol from its pokeball at last and it was not a moment too soon. Three more ghouls crouched nearby, snarling and gurgling. One of them lunged at the mage, but he smacked it aside with his staff. The other two ghouls leapt in at the warrior and paladin. Misty slammed the ghoul into a tree with her shield, the symbol of the Alliance glinting proudly. She finally got a chance to call out her vaporeon and the pokemon fought by her side. Another pack of ghouls wandered in, drawn by the sounds of combat. The group was being steadily overwhelmed.

"Misty! You're a paladin! _Do something holy!_" the mage yelled. The girl looked around at the swarming undead, eyes wide. She felt holy power surge up inside her in this time of utter desperation. She knew instinctively what to do. With a battle cry she plunged her sword into the ground; there was a burst of light as the ground around the group literally cracked and light poured forth from the tiny rifts below the adventurers. The ghouls shrieked and backed away, trying to escape the consecrated ground.

Ice began to rain down out of the sky as Gary cast a blizzard spell. He had become skilled enough by that point to avoid hitting his allies with the gigantic hailstones. Ash sliced the retreating ghouls up with quick swipes of the swords, as Starwisp and her owl chased down the fleeing undead and swiftly disposed of them. Misty ripped her sword out of the still-glowing ground. Vaporeon ran ahead and bit down on a ghoul's leg, keeping it from fleeing. It gurgled and turned to attack the pokemon, but the last thing it saw was a paladin's sword coming straight at its head. Absol, the swiftest pokemon of the group, chased after the monster that had gotten the farthest from the group, running it down like some great hunting dog, its predatory instincts kicking in. It sprung onto its target and the ghoul crashed to the ground.

"Who dares disturb Stalvan Mistmantle?" came a guttural growl. The group regathered quickly as a man exited Mistmantle Manor. He was wearing a tattered blue vest over a blood-stained white shirt, worn brown pants, a belt, and a pair of old brown boots. He was hunched over and very clearly _undead_. Some of the flesh had rotted off entirely, leaving only bones in certain places. Only part of his lower jaw remained, the rest of it having fallen off. He held two long swords in his hands.

"It's time you got what you deserved, Stalvan," Misty said. For once, _she_ gave the order to attack. As the paladin began to charge, vaporeon at her side, the mage unquestioningly began casting a fireball.

"Absol, go!" he ordered. The dark pokemon darted around behind Stalvan as vaporeon latched onto the undead murderer's ankle, limiting his agility as he fought with the valiant young paladin. Absol bit Stalvan's wrist, preventing the full use of that sword; the man could still flick it at Misty's legs, forcing her to move out of otherwise ideal attacking positions. A fireball struck the undead's body, throwing him backwards. He landed on Gary's loyal pokemon; it let out a yelp.

Stalvan got to his feet, no longer limited. He slashed at the girl, throwing her backwards but not penetrating the thick plate armor, having been distracted by several arrows piercing his chest. Another fireball threw him to the ground. He moved to stand up and managed to barely avoid the twin swords of the warrior. Mistmantle leapt up and spun, whipping one of the blades out of Ash's hand and throwing it to the ground. Misty's judgement spell struck him powerfully. He turned to attack the paladin. His sword aimed right at her unprotected throat, he went at her. The swords were ripped out of his hands by a great grey owl.

"Aeroth!" Starwisp ordered, "Take the swords and throw them into the river!" The night elf huntress darted forward, a strategy finally formulated. She kicked Stalvan in the chest, knocking him against a tree and stunning him. Quick as lightning, she swiped his throat with her bladed glove, cutting into the bones of his neck, weakening it enough that it could no longer support itself. Stalvan collapsed to the ground as the dark magic that kept him 'alive' dissipated.

The group glanced around in a paranoid fashion, as though expecting more undead to attack them. After a moment of nervous silence, Misty began to heal the members of the group. Aeroth returned and flopped clumsily onto the ground at his master's feet. The elf sighed and picked him up, allowing him to step onto her shoulder.

"This is alarming," she said.

"What is? I mean besides the whole getting-attacked-by-zombies thing," Ash replied, semi-sarcastically.

"The number of undead in Duskwood is increasing. I've never seen so many ghouls in one place. And they're becoming much more powerful. Something is happening, something dark. I'm beginning to think that Stalvan was just the first omen of things to come. After all… he was _undead_… Nothing we saw hinted at _that_ fate… Perhaps Madame Eva was talking about a greater evil than she realized."

The trainers suddenly understood what Starwisp was talking about. They looked at one another and gulped as the implications dawned on them.

"Stalvan was only a pawn, one of many. Could it be…" the night elf trailed off, turning away from the group and staring into the forest. "Could the Lich King be… preparing for… _another invasion_…?"


	8. Prepare for Trouble?

"What is _that?_" Jessie asked, as the Team Rocket trio examined the strange blue rift in the fabric of reality.

"I dunno," Meowth muttered, "I never seen anything like dat before…"

James poked it and his hand went through it. "Ah! It's some kind of… doorway…"

"A portal!" the talking pokemon exclaimed, "I wonder what kinds of things are on the other side!"

"I wonder if there are rare pokemon in it," Jessie said with a smirk.

"Only one way to find out!" James replied enthusiastically.

"Wait a minute, now," Meowth said, with a perfectly serious expression on his face, "how do you know dis is a good idea? We don't know where dis thing goes or what's on the other side. Who _knows_ what could happen to us if we go through it!"

"It's worth the risk," Jessie stated, "imagine if there are rare pokemon on the other side! The Boss will reward us beyond imagination!"

"Well…" the hesitant pokemon replied. "Alright… but I got a _bad_ feelin' about dis…"

The trio stepped through the portal and found themselves in a land they could never have imagined. What grass there was, was sickly brown and dry. Mostly the ground was just cracked earth, from which bones protruded here and there. The trees looked dead but still stood, or at least, most did; some were no more than stumps with odd, pulsating growths. The sky was hazy orange and the whole area was gloomy and foreboding.

"I don't like this place…!" James said. Jessie merely looked around in horror.

"I _told_ you guys dis was a bad idea!" Meowth wailed, waving his arms. All three of them froze suddenly when an odd animal crawled up over a hill. It was red and scaly, with a hairy mane along its jaw. It didn't appear to have eyes, but from where they should have been, long, black tentacles sprouted, like an unnatural crest. Two of these tentacles had claws on them. From the single-clawed front limbs came a pair of long spikes. The felhunter looked at Team Rocket for a moment before letting out something akin to a bark.

"What kind of pokemon is that?" James asked, staring at the demon. A moment later, two people followed it up the hill. One was a human woman in a red and black robe, with long black hair. The other was something much, much more unusual. She was tall and pale blue, clad in dark leather and chainmail, with hooves instead of feet. A tail was visible, moving around behind her. Her somewhat harsh face had glowing blue eyes and was framed by unkempt dark teal hair. Horns curved out and down from atop her head.

"What is that?" the Rockets yelped in complete terror of these strange creatures, leaping into each other's arms in fear.

"Haven't you ever seen a draenei before?" the blue woman asked, her voice rather monotone.

"They have strange outfits and an odd animal," the robed woman commented to her companion, "perhaps they are Lost. I've heard of some people falling into Azeroth from another world…"

The Rockets looked at one another, completely overwhelmed. They were in another world with creatures they knew nothing of.

"At any rate," the draenei continued, "you should come with us… You are unarmed, and unprepared. The plague runs rampant, and the minions of the Lich King are everywhere."

"We'll explain everything to you when we reach Light's Hope Chapel," the human woman said, warmly, "but first we have to get there; the Plaguelands are dangerous, especially for you. I am Annabella, and this is Tarani."

Tarani turned and began to walk away silently. Annabella followed her, along with the felhunter. Team Rocket had no choice but to tag along.

"Once we get to safety," the robed woman said, "you'll need to be trained properly if you hope to survive. I can teach you in the ways of the warlock, good lady, and Tarani will train your friend as a warrior. What are your names?"

"Jessie…"

"And James…"

"And Meowth…" The cat pokemon looked at the ground and nearly tripped over a bone. "I knew dis was a bad idea," he mumbled.

XXX

An explosion of noise outside the inn snapped the four young adventurers awake. Quickly, each of them donned their battlegear and rushed downstairs to see what the matter was. There was chaos on the streets of Darkshire as ghouls ran rampant. Citizens fell to the ground and slowly transformed into monsters.

"What's going on?" Gary yelped, hardly able to hear his own voice through the gurgling of the undead and the sounds of the town guards' swords striking flesh, bone, and metal. The screams of the townsfolk echoed through the air.

Misty was the first one to join the fray, her paladin abilities easily turning the tables against the invading ghouls. She hurried to strike down the ghouls before they could infect more people, consecrating the ground and casting judgement. Even so, for every defender that fell, a new ghoul or zombie joined the invading ranks. The paladin began trying to purify every fallen defender before they could transform.

The trainers released their pokemon and the entire group joined the battle. Eventually the invaders were turned back and the horrific aftermath was revealed. Bodies lay strewn about the ground; there was blood everywhere. A handful of priests and paladins who'd been in the area set about healing those who'd been injured, purifying everyone in sight to avoid more turnings. The survivors of the battle packed up their belongings as Commander Ebonlocke announced that the entire town would be moving to Stormwind City within the hour.

"Darkshire can no longer stand against the might of the Scourge. A new plague has revealed itself, a new invasion has begun. We shall _all_ go to Stormwind, every one of us, as refugees. With luck, we shall one day be able to return home. Pack up your prized possessions, citizens. We leave within the hour."

"I guess this means we're going to have to find somewhere else to train," Gary muttered.

"No," Starwisp replied, "we're going to sit this out in Stormwind. If another Plague of Undeath is sweeping the land, nowhere will be safe, but the great cities of the world will likely draw healers from all over Azeroth. They will keep the cities relatively clean. We can't fight through this. We're going to have to simply wait for it to pass."


	9. The Turning

"We're under attack!" Tarani yelled. The paladins and priests of the Dawn who'd been inside the chapel with the Rockets rushed outside. The trainers poked their heads out fearfully. A small army of ghouls rushed down the hillside toward the church. Both Rockets froze in terror.

"Jessie! Get out here, warlock!" Annabella yelled, "We need all the help we can get! Now is the time to test what you've learned!"

With trembling hands, Jessie – now clad in a blood-red robe trimmed with black – began to summon a demon for the first time. There was a flash of purple light as the imp arrived in their plane of existence.

"Whaddya want?" it shrieked. The warlock looked afraid for a moment, but glanced toward the door when the sounds of combat erupted. No longer afraid of the imp, she ordered it to attack in a commanding tone; much to her surprise it obeyed unquestioningly. She followed it out and attempted to cast a shadowbolt like Anna had demonstrated earlier. Within minutes she was fully involved in the battle.

"We gotta help dem!" Meowth suddenly said, rushing out to help defend Light's Hope. "If we don't, we're all gonna die!" James followed the cat pokemon, unsheathing the sword Tarani had given him. The horrifying sounds of battle raged around him as he began to attack the invading ghouls. The scream of a draenei distracted him for a moment; he turned and saw Tarani collapsing, a ghoul's long fangs sunk deep into her throat. The monster then began to _run away_, dragging the warrior's body with it! James ran after it, trying to prevent it from taking the woman's body, but neglected to watch the other ghouls as they battled it out with the other defenders. A ghoul leapt at the Rocket from the side, tackling him to the ground. He held it back by thrusting his sword through its chest, but it wriggled around so much that it slipped down the blade. There was a sickening crunch as its jaws clamped down on the trainer's neck. It ripped the blade out of its chest and began dragging the body away.

"James?"

"He's gone, Jessie! Stay back or they'll take you too!" Annabella warned. The battle raged on until the remaining ghouls retreated, dragging bodies with them.

XXX

It was a peaceful morning in Stormwind City. The human city was a shining beacon of hope and safety in a dangerous world plunged into dark times. Priests and paladins alike wandered the city, purging those who requested it and those who entered the city from outside, seeking refuge. Misty often volunteered to help the Argent Healers with this task, while Ash sometimes helped the Stormwind Guard to fend off ghouls. Life went on in a mostly normal fashion within the city walls, save that it was much more crowded and nobody ever left.

At the moment, the entire group was located in the Park District, a small, grassy field surrounded by buildings, with a couple trees and a night elf moonwell in it. Ash wore a simple tunic and matching brown pants, while Misty had taken to wearing a lovely green dress while in town. Only Gary and Starwisp remained in their adventuring gear, because mage gear was comfortable enough to be worn casually, and night elves actually preferred to wear leather rather than cloth.

The young paladin knelt by the moonwell, captivated by its shining, primal splendor. The blue-white waters shone with the light of the moon itself, even in broad daylight. Starwisp had told her that the night elves drew their power from the wells. She watched her own reflection in the glowing, calm, pure waters. She wasn't the only one watching herself. Across the park, a brown-haired mage in a blue tunic leaned against a tree in perfect relaxation, also watching her calmly. She really was beautiful, in his opinion, with all the shining grace worthy of paladinhood. Misty stood and suddenly felt like she was being watched. She turned and Gary immediately looked away, pretending to be trying to work out a new spell. She hesitated before wandering over to see what he was up to.

XXX

James awoke, his mind not his own. "I… am reborn…" he muttered, the words being dragged out of him, "an instrument of chaos…"

A smile spread across the lips of Instructor Razuvious. "Yes! This one will have it all. This one will spread chaos, fear, and destruction in his wake! Fix for him the uniform worthy of an agent of the Lich King."

James, now undead, was led away to be given the armor of a death knight. When he returned, another body – he recognized it as one of the defenders of the chapel – had been resurrected.

"I've… woken to a… nightmare…" the reanimated paladin mumbled.

"Hrm… This one is _lacking_. Dispose of it," the instructor ordered. The necromancers dragged the man away to a sunken circle in the citadel, chaining him to the wall. Razuvious paced along the line of bodies. At last he pointed to a draenei warrior. "That one."

The necromancers raised the woman into undeath. Her eyes snapped open, glowing with cold blue fire, just like James'. "I exist to serve…" Tarani stated, in her monotone voice.

"Good, good... Get for her the armor of a death knight. She is worthy."

When at last a decently sized group of new recruits was standing before Razuvious, he instructed each of them to select a suitable sword by a runeforge and carve unholy runes into their blades. When that was done, they all returned to him.

"What do you wish of us, now, Instructor…?" Tarani asked.

"Go down to the sunken circle. There are several… _unworthy_ initiates chained there. Unlock them and fight them for your life. If you succeed, you will be allowed to ascend to the level of a true death knight – for you are still but being tested – and if you should fail… you were no more worthy than the one you unlocked, and you – should either of you survive, that is – would be put to death."

"As you desire…" James replied. The death knight initiates wandered into the sunken circle and selected their opponents, allowing them to arm themselves and then dueling them. A little over half of the new initiates survived the fight, among them, James and Tarani.

"You have done well," Instructor Razuvious said, "go now to your King, and he shall open the gateway to true undeath for you."

Not more than half an hour later, the death knights were wreaking absolute havoc on the Scarlet Crusade below, slaughtering the warriors and massacring the innocent bystanders. They thirsted for blood.


	10. Of Blood and Death

Four days passed. The Argent Dawn was beginning to push the plague back out, the circle of safety growing larger around each of the capital cities of the world. At Gary's insistence that they leave as soon as possible, the group continued their journey as soon as they'd received word that everything south of Stormwind had been cleansed.

"Where are we going now?" the Paladin inquired.

"Stranglethorn Vale. The jungle at the southernmost tip of the Eastern Kingdom."

"Gary, what exactly are we trying to accomplish here?" Ash suddenly asked.

"I… I'm not entirely sure. I guess we're just trying to learn as much as we can… to become as strong as we can. All I know is that if I keep learning and training… I'll eventually be powerful enough to get us all back home."

"How do you know we will ever go home?" Misty asked, quietly. There was dead silence for a minute.

"Because… we have to believe in something," the mage replied, not making eye contact with her, "and the hope for our return home is… all that we have…"

"Yeah," the warrior said, "I guess our parents are worried about us, having not heard from us for so long…"

Gary said nothing at all.

"The Professor was worried about you," Misty said.

"I guess Grandpa would be worried about me," the mage said, with a nod and a shrug.

"And…" the paladin blinked and paused, as if waiting for Gary to say something else. When he didn't, she continued, "and your parents wouldn't be?"

"My parents are dead," Gary replied, somewhat plainly.

"Wh-what? Oh… I'm sorry…."

"Don't be," the mage replied, smiling at Misty a bit. She gave him a confused look. "I don't really remember them," he continued, shrugging, "They died when I was really little."

"That's still really sad…" The paladin couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He merely shrugged. The group remained silent for most of the trip to Stranglethorn.

Ash changed the topic. "What was it that caused you to lose the whole 'I'm better than you' attitude, anyway?"

"Me? Well, I decided I wanted to live rather than brag…" Gary answered, "I teamed up with another mage to attack some undead in Duskwood, because she was doing the same thing I was. We were… too sure of ourselves. We thought we could take on more of them than we were actually capable of fighting. We were arrogant, I admit it. It cost her her life, and nearly cost me mine. I would have been killed if Starwisp hadn't shown up. I learned my lesson, to say the least."

"Be careful," Starwisp warned, as they crossed into the jungle, "this is neutral territory; the Horde is just as prevalent here as the Alliance."

"The Horde?" Ash asked.

"The enemy of the Alliance. The orcs, trolls, forsaken undead, tauren, and blood elves."

The group nodded in understanding as they wandered down the path through the jungle. At one point a tiger attacked them, but they easily fought it off. The journey was not particularly eventful, but highly interesting; Stranglethorn was full of life. There were a myriad of different plants in the lush rainforest, a thousand types of bird. Panthers and tigers stalked in the undergrowth a good distance away from the road, and at one point they even saw a raptor. But by far, the most interesting creature they encountered was one that Starwisp wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Sh, stop!" the night elf whispered, holding her arms out and blocking the path.

"What is it?" the warrior inquired.

"A blood elf, look there…"

The others strained to see what she was talking about at first, but once they noticed her, they didn't know how they'd missed her at first. She was young, no more than seventy years old (equivalent to a human girl of sixteen), with shiny red hair. Her bangs were puffy and looked somewhat cute with her blue headband. She was clearly a mage, though not of the same type as Gary. She wore a purple robe with blue-grey filigree bands around the lower part of it and a fleur-de-lis style design on the chest. She had a matching purple cape and a simple staff tipped with an amethyst. She was very pretty, possibly deceptively so.

Starwisp grabbed Gary by the cape as he started to move toward the blood elf. "What are you doing? Do you have a death wish? She'll suck the magic right out of you!"

"Calm down, Starwisp, I picked up a bit of Thalassian from some high elves. I'm not very good with the language but I can get a point across… Besides, if I die, Misty can resurrect me…" He turned to the paladin. "Right?"

"I've never resurrected anyone before, Gary…"

"But you know the spell, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Then we don't need to worry. I'm confident in your abilities… Willing to bet my life on them."

The paladin blushed very faintly. "Thank you…"

The mage slowly moved toward the elf. She turned when she heard him and her hands began to glow purple. He put his own hands up as a request for truce. He spoke the only two Thalassian words he knew as well as his own language. "Baladash, malanore." It translated to 'greetings, traveler' and was a general sign of benevolent intentions. The blood elf replied harshly in her own tongue, and Gary was slow to respond, but he eventually replied, his words slow and hesitant as he struggled to form sentences in the strange language with his extremely limited vocabulary. Nevertheless, a human speaking Thalassian seemed to impress the girl. Gary asked her a question, and she nodded. They then switched to speaking common.

"You don't have any reason to be hostile to us, blood elf," the human mage assured the girl.

"Humans have done horrible things to me and to those I love… or rather loved…"

"What do you mean by that?"

The blood elf folded her arms on her chest, closing her eyes. "It's none of your business, human."

"… I have a name…" he said slowly, as though offering her the chance to reject hearing his name. He had to be very careful with this member of the opposing faction. One wrong word and she might kill them all.

"Why should I care what your name is… Mine has no meaning…" the girl turned away.

"I'm sure your name still has meaning… My name's Gary. We could use an ally like you…"

"Gary!" Starwisp hissed, "Be _careful_, you're dabbling in what could turn into treason!"

The mage ignored her and awaited the blood elf's reply. She was still turned away from him. She didn't want to reply, but she was touched by how much the human seemed to care. But everyone who'd cared about her in the past was either dead or missing. Was it worth making new friends, if she'd only lose them?

"My name's Zaraia… Former mage in training…" she whispered, her voice breaking.

"Former?" Ash asked, joining Gary in talking to the elf, "what happened?"

"My instructor died… just like everyone else…." The blood elf girl bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes at the memory of Lord Wenzel and her own fellow apprentice, Vaku. But the Lord was dead, and Vaku, missing. Zaraia sobbed at the painful memories. "Leave me alone or I'll turn you all into sheep!" she shrieked suddenly at the adventurers, before running away, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cried uncontrollably. The group members looked at one another in surprise and confusion.

XXX

There was blood everywhere. Dead scarlet crusaders littered the ground as a pair of death knights went on a murderous rampage. The man moved to gang up on the crusader the draenei was attacking, but she hissed at him over her shoulder.

"Stand back, James, this one's _mine!_" Tarani snarled as she slashed at the paladin, killing him. She leapt over the body and the two death knights continued slicing a line through the scarlets all the way to the town hall of New Avalon. Two guards stood watch at the entrance to the courtyard. Tarani pointed her blade at one. "Batleaper, forward!" she ordered. Her ghoul leapt into combat as James charged at the second guard. The two scarlets went down quickly. The death knights looked around the corner. Many of the townsfolk were outside the building in an angry mob, yelling at the mayor that the death knights had been ordered to kill.

"Should we bother to kill the civilians or should we go straight to the mayor?" the former Rocket asked.

"Get the important things done first and kill the villagers on the way out."

James nodded in agreement and they made a beeline right for the building; the civilians saw them and began to panic and scream, but the death knights ignored them. Moments later the sounds of violence erupted from within the town hall as the undead partners slaughtered the guards. Furniture was overturned as the mayor and his bodyguard struggled against the scourge knights, but it was no contest. The mayor lay dead on the ground within minutes, and the death knights began to tear the place apart in their search for the town registry.

"I found it," James stated as he put the book into the storage plane and drew his sword again. "Now let us slaughter those villagers…"

The knights rushed into the courtyard and began slashing at anything that moved. They caused such chaos that they couldn't even tell what they were attacking or how many people they were killing, they were merely attacking everything they saw. A troll death knight was drawn in by the sound of slaughter and warned his two allies that the noise had attracted the attention of more scarlets than the pair could handle. Immediately, they summoned their deathchargers and retreated, but not before Tarani pulled a match out and set fire to the town hall. Having had their fun, the three death knights returned to the Crypt, where Keleseth was waiting for them. The darkfallen Prince silently took the registry and began to flip through it.

"Death rates, births… _movement…_Hm… three ships… _To Northrend? What?_ This is impossible! And… Crimson Dawn? What nonsense is this? You two!" he said, pointing at James and Tarani, "take _these_, and find out what this Crimson Dawn is!" He handed them each a pair of red-hot metal spikes. The death knights grinned wickedly upon receiving the torture devices and set out.

"Heh… Heheh… Nobody expects the Scourge inquisition!" James muttered.


	11. Riddles

The group wandered Booty Bay, looking for work. They had to earn gold and become stronger somehow, and it was better to have a goal than to just randomly wander around killing things. Starwisp wandered away from the group to browse the Stranglethorn auction house. Ash watched her as she left. As Gary passed the warrior on his way to talk to an enchanter about learning a spell to repair minor rips and tears in his outfit, he snickered.

"She's too old for you, Ash," he said, as he walked by, smirking.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" the warrior growled, glaring at the mage.

"Nothin', nothin' at all." Gary shrugged as he entered the enchanter's shop. Ash didn't even bother to follow him in order to argue. It wasn't worth the trouble.

XXX

The three humans of the group had gathered in the inn. They were sitting at a table, discussing what they would do next. After a while, Starwisp joined them. She had a scroll in her hand.

"What's that?" Ash asked, curious. The night elf put the scroll on the table and unfurled it.

"What," she said, "do you think of _this_? I bought this off the auction house. Apparently it was some kind of pirate's riddle.

'There is an ornate, well-traveled bridge,  
East of Deadwind and south of Redridge,  
Underneath there waits something for you,  
Some call it a hint, others a clue.  
There it will lie for endless tomorrows,  
Biding its time in the Swamp of Sorrows'

So what do you all say to that? I, for one, feel like going on a treasure hunt." Starwisp grinned. She pulled out a map and put it on the table next to the scroll. Gary turned it so that he could read it.

"Here's the Swamp of Sorrows," he said, pointing to a small area not too far away, "looks like the only way in is to go up into Duskwood and then east through the Deadwind Pass…"

"Not quite," the elf said, "I know a little known route through a cave in Redridge."

"If there's one thing I know about caves in Azeroth," Ash said, somewhat bitterly, "it's that they're usually crawling with _all kinds_ of _nasty_ things."

"The main tunnel in this one is not. The side tunnels… well, let's just say you don't want to wander too far off the main path. Some of the deeper recesses of the caverns house… _unpleasant_ creatures."

"This sounds dangerous," the paladin said, in a half-protest.

"Believe me, Misty," Starwisp replied, "it's nowhere _near_ as dangerous as Deadwind Pass. We'd do well to avoid that place."

"Hang on," Gary said, suddenly standing up, "I'm going to go ask the flight master about what gryphon flights are available. It'll be expensive but I think it'll be worth it if we can fly directly to Redridge."

When he returned, he told Ash and Misty to prepare for their first flight on gryphonback.

XXX

The gryphons' wings beat faster and faster, as the creatures lifted off the ground, and took to the skies. The four mighty creatures rose higher and higher, until they leveled their flight out and soared high above the treetops.

"Great, isn't it?" Gary called.

"Yeah!" the warrior replied. Misty was too busy simply staring in awe around her. Below them, vast, beautiful jungles spread out from coast to coast, sparkling rivers cutting through them and massive ruins jutting out from amongst the trees.

"This is amazing!" the paladin said.

"Well worth the gold. Nothing compares to flying!" Starwisp said, "I can only wonder how my father feels when he turns into a bird; he's a druid you know."

"That must be… interesting…"

The gryphons flew over Duskwood, then Elwynn. They suddenly banked, stalled for a moment, and dove down expertly between the trees, folding their wings tightly as they went under the foliage, before snapping them open again and soaring above the road where people walked below and horses trotted. They flew in single-file along the road until the forest slowly thinned into nothing. The three humans found themselves looking around at the red stone canyon they were in, some more awe-struck than the others. Finally the great animals slowed down and came to a semi-smooth landing by a flight master's gryphon hut. The grinning adventurers dismounted the beasts, turning to scratch the feathery heads before leaving. Starwisp began to lead them south along the great lake.

"I know what you meant about this being a dangerous but beautiful world, Gary," Misty said, "I understand _everything_ you've told me now."

"You've gotten used to it."

"Yeah… I have… and… I kinda like it…."

"I told you you would," the mage said, with a smile. The paladin returned his friendly grin as the two walked side by side.

At last the group came to a dark cave.

"How are we going to see where we're going?" Ash inquired. The night elf was already dealing with this problem. She broke a small branch off a nearby tree. Then, she walked over to a pine tree a little ways away and ripped a strip of sap-saturated bark off the trunk and wrapped it around the tip of the branch, before returning to the first tree. She selected a flexible, thin twig and used that to tie the bark around the branch.

"Gary, ignite this, please?"

The mage lifted his hand and pointed it at the branch, which burst into flames.

"Wow," the warrior laughed, "you're smart! I never would have been able to figure out how to make a torch from nothing but tree parts."

"Ash, there are a lot of things in this world you'd never be able to figure out how to do," Gary said, grinning.

"Back to your old ways of insulting him, are you?" the paladin teased.

"Who, _me?_ Nah!" the mage replied, the smirk not once disappearing from his face.

The night elf laughed. "Come on, you three, this torch won't last forever." She started wandering into the caves.

As clever as the torch was, it didn't provide much light. Sure, Starwisp could see where she was going, but the group could easily get separated.

"Stay near me," she instructed.

Misty instinctively looked around, despite knowing she'd not be able to see a thing in the darkness around her. A hand brushed against hers in the shadows.

"Don't worry, I won't let you get lost," a comforting voice whispered. The mage slipped his hand into hers. The paladin couldn't see it, but he was smiling.

Here and there, eyes glinted in the darkness. Imaginations ran rampant as fears, many of them unfounded, manifested themselves in the darkness, if only in the minds of the adventurers. But they were together, and safe as a group. As they turned a corner and light was seen at the end of the tunnel, they gave a collective sigh of relief. As it became brighter and brighter, suddenly Ash began to snicker uncontrollably.

Gary just glared at him. "I was making sure she didn't get separated from the group," he said, letting go of the paladin's hand.

"Uh-huh."

"No, seriously. Shut up."

"Uh-huh, whatever you say, Gary…"

"You're a loser."

"Oh, back to that, are we?"

"Ash, I am warning you, I can and will turn you into a sheep. I'm dead serious."

"Fine…"

Starwisp stopped, and the others came out behind her. The Swamp of Sorrows was hauntingly beautiful. The ground was soggy and matted over with reeds, and vines hung from the trees limply. Crimson flowers bloomed here and there. Red-brown fog filled the air and gave the place a spooky and sad atmosphere without making it appear ugly or dead. Water pooled in various places, making the whole region a series of large islands separated by shallow rivers. Starwisp pulled out her map again and pointed at one of the two roads.

"The southern one follows the mountains and doesn't cross water, but the northern road crosses rivers four times. The bridge is 'well traveled', so it has to be on one of the main roads. Luckily, we're right about here," the night elf said, pointing to a place on the map, "so we're already near the end of the northern road. Be wary. These are horde territories, and the wildlife is not pleasant."

They set out along the path. Strange, bipedal creatures moaned and wandered about.

"What are those?" Misty asked.

"Lost Ones, they are called, for lack of a better name. No relation to the Lost of your world; these are devolved draenei. They've reverted much farther than the Broken, and are quite insane."

The group silently continued along the road until they came to a simple, plain bridge. They decided to check the area around it just in case. Something suddenly flew at Starwisp; the elf spun around and slashed the Lost One across the chest with her bladed glove. It gurgled something as it hit the ground and more Lost Ones appeared. Pikachu didn't even need commands at this point, as it had learned the way of life in Azeroth. Lightning struck one of the Lost Ones as fireballs flew through the air, followed by a rain of ice. Absol shook one of the group's foes violently about like a rag doll before throwing it into one of its companions, knocking both Lost Ones to the ground. Ash quickly disposed of both of them, slamming his swords down into them. A Lost One thrust its spear at Misty, but she blocked it with her shield and her vaporeon had a chance to bite down on the shaft. The monster tried to pull its weapon away, growling furiously. It was struck down by a judgement spell.

"Look out!"

Misty turned as another Lost One came at her from behind. Gary leapt out in front of her and held up his staff. The Lost One slammed into it and, in one fluid motion, the mage threw the monster against a tree and sent a frostbolt hurtling after it. A lightning bolt struck one of the devolved draenei as it leapt at Starwisp. The remaining Lost Ones retreated, and the night elf shot several of them in the back with arrows as they fled.

"Best if we keep our pokemon out," Gary said, looking about warily, "we could be ambushed at any time."

Cautiously, the group continued on, until they reached a rather fancy bridge.

"Is this it?" Ash asked.

"Probably," the huntress replied. The adventurers began to search the area, with little success until Gary's absol began to bark repeatedly. He was up to his mane in filthy water and would not move from where he stood. His master walked over to see what he was making a fuss about.

"Good boy!" the mage praised, scratching the pokemon on the head as he bent down to pick up a stone tablet. "Here we go.

'A far off land in Kalimdor awaits,  
Where peril has dashed hopes and fates.  
East of Barrens the weather is harsh;  
Gloom and danger pock Dustwallow Marsh.  
But there lies a clue for those up to the test,  
Waiting to be found in a cave in the southwest.'"

"Whoever wrote these clues could rhyme but had no sense of rhythm," Misty commented.

"Indeed," the night elf muttered.


	12. Portals

"So, we're supposed to go to Dustwallow…" Gary muttered, "Uh, you know, I've been studying a spell that _might_ come in handy… I'd like to try it out…"

"What spell is that?" Starwisp asked.

"You'll see, if it works," the mage replied, as he began channeling a spell. Slowly, a blue oval appeared before them with a faint image of a city similar to Stormwind. "Hey! I think it might have worked! Come on through," he said, stepping through with a grin.

XXX

"It worked! I made a portal to Theramore and it worked!" the mage said excitedly.

"Good job!" Misty replied, "That's the first step toward making a portal that will take us home."

"Thanks… Well, we need to get going; standing in Theramore will get us nowhere."

"You should probably all get mounts. We're going to have to go all the way across Dustwallow and back again," Starwisp suggested. She summoned a great, dark grey tiger with red eyes and patted it. "How are you, Nightfang? That's my boy."

XXX

Having spoken with the local paladin, Misty had learned how to summon a warhorse. Ash had bought a pinto from the local horse breeder, while Gary had chosen a black stallion. Starwisp quickly taught the boys about summoning and dismissing mounts; the intelligent mage caught on quickly, but the warrior had to be run through it a few times.

"Heh. Loser," Gary quipped, a broad smirk on his face as he leaned against a building.

"Just shut up, will you?" Ash replied, glaring at the mage.

"Why? I quite enjoy driving you up the wall."

"I can tell." The warrior finished summoning his horse and turned to the elf. "I think I've got it now. Thanks."

"Then let's get going," Gary said, as he summoned his horse.

XXX

The horses galloped along behind the tiger as the adventurers followed the road south through the gloomy, depressing, dull marsh, toward the cave that Starwisp had pointed out on the map. Strange, flying serpents flapped about in the distant fog, silent, haunting, always watching. As the brave travelers crossed water, crocolisks would glare up out of the deeper sections of the murk, dangerously close. The companions were on edge the whole time. Everything that moved appeared dangerous to them, as well as a few things that didn't move. Large spiders that lurked in the trees particularly seemed to unnerve the group's paladin.

"Why do the bugs of this world have to be so big?" she whimpered. The mage sped his horse up a bit to ride right next to her.

"I don't really like spiders either," Gary stated, "they kinda freak me out. It's not a phobia or anything, but they're just creepy…"

Ash smirked thoughtfully. Knowing the mage's weaknesses was key. Even though Gary was now a teammate, they were still rivals, and they'd still be battling pokemon when they got back to their own world.

"Don't even think about it," the mage said, reading the expression as clearly as a book, "it won't work. I'm not _that_ afraid of them."

"Aww, darn…"

"Shh," the night elf suddenly said, halting her tiger, "There's the cave; it's guarded…"

The others rode around to the side so they could see clearly. Several bright red raptors and a large grey one stood watch at the entrance of the cave.

"You guys know the drill," Gary said, suddenly much more serious and commanding. He dismounted and dismissed his horse. The mage calmly reached for his pokeball, and released the absol. "Get 'em, boy."

The pokemon did what was ordered of it, darting forward with deadly grace like a wolf. It leapt into the air at the first raptor it came to, sinking its teeth into the scaly neck of the unsuspecting animal. The moment of perceived slow-motion ended abruptly for the group as the raptor let out a shriek. The battle was on! The brave warrior and his faithful pikachu charged into combat, leaving blood and sparks in their wake. They were followed quickly by the vaporeon, her speed and silence crucial to her success. Lightning crackled randomly about the field as fire and ice rained down from the heavens. Arrows flew through the air. One of the raptors ran at Gary; he panicked for a split second before regaining his composure and firing a frostbolt at it to slow it down and following with as many quick fire spells as he could. He was being forced backwards. Suddenly the paladin was out in front of him.

"Misty, what are you doing?! Get back, we can't risk you getting hurt; you're our only healer! _Get back, I'm disposable, you're not!_"

"You're _not_ disposable! I don't think I can cast a resurrection yet!"

"_Yes you can, get back now!_" It was too late; the raptor was upon her. She blocked it with her shield, but it knocked her to the ground. It raised its sickle claw to slice into her armor and kill her, but she swiftly sliced into the foot with her sword. With a screech, the creature stepped back off of the paladin. Gary tried to cast a fireball as quickly as he could, but Misty – much to his surprise – was faster. The girl was on her feet again quickly and stabbed the raptor's neck. Moments later, the two of them were back to back, fending off anything and everything that came their way; with their powers together they were all but invincible. Meanwhile the warrior was surrounded. The three pokemon were working together to protect him, but they couldn't keep up. The black raptor was fighting Ash particularly well, dodging his blades with considerable skill and at one point biting down on his arm hard enough to pierce the metal, jabbing broken metal into the boy's arm. He yelled in pain; there was the sound of something flying through the air followed by a thud and the pressure was gone. He opened his eyes. Blood was flowing out of the bite mark on his arm and dripping down onto the body of the raptor, which had an arrow sticking out of its eye in a sickening fashion. More arrows whizzed past him as Starwisp continued her attack, her owl fighting off the raptors that came at her. Ash ignored the pain in his arm and continued to fight for his life. Finally, after several raptors were dead, those remaining began to call to one another and retreat. The pokemon stood at their masters' feet, still bristling with adrenaline, except the absol; his hunting drive had been activated and he was not going to let his prey get away from him. Moving like a great cat or canine he closed in on the last fleeing raptor and pounced like a lion, forcing the dinosaur to the ground and biting into its neck. He turned back to the group, his white fur matted with blood. Vaporeon licked her paws clean. Pikachu just sat at Ash's feet, flicking his ears.

Misty healed Gary's and her own wounds before the two of them walked over to Ash. The mage cast a spell that repaired the warrior's armor, relieving the pain of the metal digging into his arm, while Misty cast a healing spell on him. She then set about healing the pokemon, Starwisp, and Aeroth. Gary wandered into the cave.

"Hey, I found something…"

The others followed him in and found him kneeling by a large rock with words carved into it.

"It says 'To Lordaeron! The great land of turmoil,  
Where brave soldiers with death do toil.  
Find your way through the great unrest,  
There you will find the end to this quest.  
Along the coast of the Hinterlands, at the base of the great falls,  
Underneath the water there does your treasure call!' Ehh… They managed to keep a fairly good rhyme scheme until the last two lines… Falls, call, that's kinda forcing it... Huh, either they're trying to be poetic or this is older than we thought… Unless I'm mistaken, Lordaeron has been in ruins for a long time, right?"

"Correct," Starwisp replied, "Lordaeron was the northern human and elven kingdom, now mostly overrun by undead… Anyway, we should ride back to Theramore. From there we can hop on a boat to the Wetlands and it's only a short gryphon's flight from there to the Hinterlands."

"Ugh, so many swamps," Misty muttered, "Love water, hate swamps..."

"Thankfully once we get to the Hinterlands, we're in forests and mountains, not swamps."

"Good."

XXX

The gryphons landed at Aerie Peak, the great mountain carved into the likeness of the noble creatures. The group summoned their mounts and rode down the slope.

"Of course, we're as far from the coast as possible without being in Hillsbrad…" Starwisp said, shrugging as her tiger carried her along the path. It was a pleasant change of scenery, with the rolling hills and majestic pine trees. After a long ride, they finally came to a huge cliff, off of which a river tumbled down in a roaring waterfall.

Ash peered over the edge. He then turned to Gary. "Well, you're a mage. Get down there."

"Gee, I feel _so_ loved," the mage muttered, casting slow fall on himself and hopping casually off the cliff, floating safely to the bottom.

Misty glared sideway at the warrior. "Ash… How is he going to get back up?"

"Gary's smart, he'll figure it out."

"You hope…"

The three at the top of the cliff waited for a while, until Gary finally managed to find a way back up the cliff. He walked over from the side and cleared his throat as he put the long, thin, heavy case on the ground. Ash burst out laughing.

"You look _pathetic_ when your hair's wet!"

Indeed, the mage did look pathetic when his normally spiky hair was just hanging in dark clumps over his face. He sighed and rolled his eyes as he raised his hand casually, and his hair instantly dried out and returned to normal. Without a word he opened the oddly shaped treasure chest. It was full of weapons of many kinds, which the adventurers excitedly looked through. Ash found a pair of matching blades with blue-grey hilts. The pommel of each had a purple crystal in it. There was only one staff in the box, and it was quite impressive. Gary put his own wooden staff in the storage plane.

"Heh, won't be needing that anymore," the mage said, as he picked up the long, elegant, silver-colored stave tipped with a shiny blue sapphire. He looked over to the side at what Misty and Starwisp had selected. The night elf was handling a shiny new dagger, slightly longer than her current one, while the paladin was giving a gold-hilted arming sword a few test swings. All of the weapons were as functional as they were beautiful.

"Funny how they're all shiny and new, after so long under the water," Ash said.

"The box was probably enchanted," Gary replied with a shrug, "Don't question good fortune. I saw a quel'dorei camp on the way here; let's go sell our old weapons and see if we can find a new quest."

XXX

At Quel'danil Lodge, the group settled down to stay for the night. Gary stood at the back, looking out at the lake behind the lodge, deep in thought. He couldn't believe he'd never noticed Misty before; now he was thinking about her all the time. She had attitude, but she was still kind and caring, and she was pretty, too. The mage's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion at the entrance. He turned. A man in badly damaged armor stumbled into the building and collapsed on the floor. Some of the high elf rangers helped him to his feet and practically carried him to a chair.

"It was horrible! They were everywhere, we were outnumbered four to one!"

"What were everywhere?" one of the elves asked.

"The ghouls, the ghouls! Scourge everywhere… They came out of nowhere and attacked the chapel! There was blood everywhere!" the man babbled, clearly traumatized.

"Wait, what chapel?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Light's Hope… It was horrible! They were killing everyone and dragging the bodies away!"

"No…" Starwisp whispered…

"Does Light's Hope still stand?" Misty asked, going into heroic paladin mode, "if so, do they need reinforcements?"

"I don't know, good lady! It was horrible…" The man continued to babble, but nothing new or important came out of him. The paladin turned to the group. She didn't need to say anything; the others all knew what she was thinking. Starwisp and Ash turned to their unofficial leader. Gary hesitated for a moment before simply nodding at Misty in silence. The adventurers accepted the decision wordlessly.


	13. Betrayal

James and Tarani approached the great frost wyrms that awaited them. The skeletal blue dragons bowed their heads and knelt as their temporary masters mounted them and took to the sky. Magic, more than their wings, kept them aloft. The death knights laughed with murderous glee as they steered the dragons through the sky, tugging the reins frequently and causing the monsters to spit huge balls of ice, killing about a dozen crusaders with each impact. Hundreds fell before the Lich King's voice echoed through the knights' heads.

"_Return knights…Let none stand so boldly against your king so as to face your merciless wrath, James and Tarani, champions of the Scourge. There remains but one task…_"

Immediately the death knights obeyed, abruptly steering the great wyrms back to Death's Breach and landed roughly. They dismounted and knelt before their King.

"_The Scarlet Enclave is no more. What remains of the crusade will be dealt with in Northrend. We now turn all of our efforts to Light's Hope Chapel. No longer will this affront to your master be allowed to exist! _

_I have issued my final command. Commander Thalanor awaits your arrival at the edge of Browman Mill. Go northwest, through the cave, into the Noxious Glade and take the path leading out of the glade to the mill. Do not fail me, champions!_"

"It will be done, my King," the draenei woman said.

"The Argent Dawn will taste the chill of death," James assured his master. The death knights rose and summoned their deathchargers before galloping off to where the commanders awaited the last of the champions.

"Good, you are here," the undead elf said.

Darion remained silent as the Lich King whispered to him. He then nodded and gave the command to charge. "The skies turn red with the blood of the fallen! The Lich King watches over us, minions! Onward! Leave only ashes and misery in your destructive wake!"

James and Tarani led the death knights at his side, followed by the ghouls and abomination giants. James joined in the rallying cries. "We are _invincible! Forward!_"

The dawn replied with their own cries. "The Light will prevail! Do not falter, brothers and sisters!"

And then, there was chaos. Not one of them could make any sense of anything going on around them. Nobody knew who was who and it was all they could do to distinguish between undead and living. Beyond that, nobody knew anything about who they were fighting, who was winning, or how many anyone had killed. Everyone was simply slashing at everything in sight, surrounded by a whirl of chaos.

"What is this? I- I cannot strike! The blade defies me!" Darion yelped. The Ashbringer was rebelling against its wielder.

"You cannot win, Darion," said a deep, calm voice. Everyone halted abruptly, on both sides, as every head turned to look at the legendary Tirion Fordring.

Tarani was the first to move, stepping toward the paladin, but Darion halted her.

"Stand down, death knights… We have lost… this place… the Light… We cannot prevail here," the Highlord said, as he knelt in defeat. All of the death knights stood in shock for a moment before they, too, dropped to their knees.

"Have you learned nothing, boy?" Tirion scolded, "You have become all that your father fought against! Like that coward, Arthas, you allowed yourself to be consumed by the darkness...the hate... Feeding upon the misery of those you tortured and killed! Your master knows what lies beneath the chapel. It is why he dares not show his face! He's sent you and your death knights to meet their doom. What you are feeling right now is the anguish of a thousand lost souls! Souls that you and your master brought here! The Light will tear you apart, Darion!"

A vision appeared before them all; shadows of the past materialized. A reunion of Darion with his father, when both were alive and well, played out before their very eyes.

"_Touching… Pathetic…_" Everyone turned as the Lich King himself stepped out of a death gate.

"You monster! You've forsaken us all!" Darion roared, suddenly furious.

"_You were right, Fordring. I did send them in to die. Their lives are meaningless, but yours... How simple it was to draw the great Tirion Fordring out of hiding. You've left yourself exposed, paladin. Nothing will save you..._"

He raised his hand and the paladin collapsed, gasping for air. Several defenders charged but were easily killed off by the all-powerful Lich King.

"Tirion!" the Highlord yelled, throwing Ashbringer to him. Fordring caught the blade by the hilt and in an instant it was purified in a flash of healing light.

"**Arthas!**" the paladin roared, charging forth, a shield of light forming in front of him and throwing the Lich King back several feet.

"_This isn't over yet! When next we meet, paladin, it won't be on holy ground!_" And with that, Arthas disappeared into the death gate. It shut behind him.

Tirion cleared his throat, and all eyes were on him again. "We have all been witness to a terrible tragedy. The blood of good men has been shed upon this soil! Honorable knights, slain defending their lives - our lives! And while such things can never be forgotten, we must remain vigilant in our cause! The Lich King must answer for what he has done and must not be allowed to cause further destruction to our world. I make a promise to you now, brothers and sisters: The Lich King will be defeated! On this day, I call for a union.

The Argent Dawn and the Order of the Silver Hand will come together as one! We will succeed where so many before us have failed! We will take the fight to Arthas and tear down the walls of Icecrown! The Argent Crusade comes for you, Arthas!"

"So too do the Knights of the Ebon Blade... While our kind has no place in your world, we will fight to bring an end to the Lich King. This I vow!" Darion said, "Those with us, stand!"

Thassarian stood, followed by Koltira, then Tarani and James, then exponentially more and more death knights.

XXX

The group rode into the Plaguelands, solemnly. The land was broken and merely a shadow of what was once the great kingdom of Lordaeron.

"How far is it to the chapel?" Misty asked.

"A little ways, still," Starwisp replied.

"So," a depressed voice said, as a warlock with red hair stepped into view, "the twerps are here too…"

"Jessie?! Where…" Ash trailed off. What was left of Team Rocket was sullen and miserable; there was no need to ask questions.

Hanging her head, Jessie began the motto alone, intending Meowth to take James' lines, her voice thick with sorrow. "Prepare for trouble…"

Much to her surprise, an echoing, yet vaguely familiar voice rang out from the shadows. "And make it double…" The warlock's head snapped up and she looked around, trying to figure out who'd spoken.

"To protect the world from devastation…?" she continued, hopefully. Everyone couldn't help but notice how fitting the word 'devastation' was, in this dark and shattered landscape.

"To unite all peoples within our nation…"

The warlock's voice continued to grow in excitement. "To denounce the evils of truth and love?!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above…"

"Jessie!" She held her breath, waiting for the next line. There was a painfully long pause before the echoing voice finally replied.

"…James…"

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!" Jessie exclaimed, overcome with pure joy. The voice that replied, however, was just as serious and pained as it had been from the start.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight…" And out from the trees stepped a death knight, still clad in the armor of the Scourge. He was not wearing a helmet, and his unmistakable purple hair was matted and slightly discolored. James' skin was disturbingly pale, and his eyes burned with cold blue fire. His expression was calm and tragic.

"J-James?! What happened…?!" Jessie said, stepping back in shock.

"What've you become?!" Meowth yelped. James remained silent.

"He's… undead…" Gary muttered, blinking. "But… how…? He's not under the Lich King's control… How…"

"He betrayed all of us, all the death knights…" James said, "The Light at the chapel was too strong… It cleared our minds and let us see the truth… The monsters we'd become…"

There was a long silence before Jessie spoke. "What… What are you going to do…?"

"There's nothing I can do," the death knight replied bitterly, "except seek revenge. The paladins at Light's Hope and the death knights of Acherus have joined forces and we seek to end the reign of the Lich King, _once and for all!_" James clenched his hand into a fist in front of his chest, the blue fire in his eyes leaping up in fury. There was another long silence.

"I support you. Let's take the fight to Arthas," Misty said.

"Whoa, whoa, wait just a minute," Gary said, "I totally support the idea of hunting the Lich King and – as Team Rocket put it, 'protecting the world from devastation' – but we can't just get caught up in the excitement and rush blindly into battle."

"He's right," James said, "that's what doomed the Scarlet Crusade…" He hung his head in guilt. He's shed so much blood, ended so many lives, many of them innocent.

"We need to work our way up to the Lich King," the mage continued, "I suggest we test our abilities against the demons of Outland. If we succeed, we'll go to Northrend, where we'll fight our way to Icecrown."

The death knight nodded at him. "But before we go… I have a score to settle here… In Stratholme. I want to send what's left of the Scourge here into ruin, so that maybe this land might be safe… To make up for what I have done to help tighten the Scourge's grip on this forest…"

"Den… Stratholme it is. We're with you on dis one, James," Meowth said. Jessie nodded.

"Alright," Gary said, "let's get to the chapel. Tomorrow, we raid Stratholme. Finally, we have a purpose in this world. This is our _destiny_."

"Don't be overdramatic, Gary," Ash muttered.

"Shut up."


	14. Stratholme: James vs Rivendare!

The group stood outside the old service entrance as the death knight unlocked the gate. Having been a high ranking scourge member, he'd had the keys to various important locations. The gate clicked and rose. James silently led the group to the second gate, which he unlocked just as quickly. Immediately the undead inside let out the alarm that the living were inside Stratholme. Zombies and skeletons rushed forth to destroy the invaders. An owl flew overhead, diving down on the undead below as his master agilely dodged attacks while slashing and stabbing at the groaning corpses. Snow and ice swirled around the death knight as his glowing runeblade sliced through his foes. Vengeance would be his!

The adventurers pushed through the crowd of undead until they were on the other side and had some room to work with. Gary was trying to throw as many fireballs as he could without completely depleting his mana supply. Meanwhile, the group's warrior stood nearby, acting as a bodyguard for the fragile mage, attacking anything that came near.

Jessie summoned a different demon, a succubus named Brylith. The winged, hoofed demon-woman caught a zombie by the neck with her whip and threw him to her master. The warlock stood near her fellow caster as Misty consecrated the ground around them to further protect the wizards. Skeleton after skeleton fell to James' icy sword. The paladin helped him; multiple flashes of light struck down the zombies as flames and dark magic raged. Nobody could hear a thing over the noise of combat that rang through the dark, decrepit city. Smoke in the air made it slightly difficult to see and breathe, but the group fought on. Occasionally lightning would strike down several zombies at once as the pokemon joined in the fray. Meowth picked up a short sword from a fallen foe and used it as his own; untrained but desperate. Speaking to vaporeon, he worked along side her, fighting anything that got too close while she took up the ranged attack with blasts of water. Absol howled and barked as he wreaked absolute havoc on the opposing forces, ripping them limb from limb. Fire and ice rained down from the heavens as mage and warlock discovered their complementary abilities. Eventually the area was totally cleared, and James unlocked the next gate.

"Careful, when I turn the corner and unlock the second gate, I'm going to distract only a few of the undead on the other side and draw them back in, so we don't have to fight them all at once."

"Sounds like a plan," Ash said.

"Stay here." The death knight turned the corner. A few moments later a strange whirring sound was heard and James ran back into view with several ghouls and a banshee still caught in the purple ethereal ropes of a death grip spell. The group began their attack, even in the narrow gateway, quickly disposing of the beasts, though the sounds drew the attention of the undead still outside. The adventurers rushed out into the area known as 'the Gauntlet' and found themselves once more in chaos. Now adjusted to fighting as a group, they were able to destroy the opposition much more quickly. The two casters stood back and unleashed magic upon the monsters, while Ash – practically a one-man army by himself – held back the nerubians that were intent on killing the magicians. The death knight had no order at all to his attacks, just randomly striking out at anything and everything that was clearly Scourge. Icy wind swirled around him, blowing his hair around violently. His dark attacks contrasted well with the paladin's; she maintained an orderly manner throughout the entire fight. Every motion was calculated on the spot, every strategy intelligently constructed as Misty unleashed the power of the Light on the unholy monstrosities before her.

"Behind you!" the mage called out as his fireball struck down the banshee the girl had been fighting. The paladin spun around and slashed at the stomach of the gargoyle as it tried to attack with its claws. It shrieked and lashed out again, but the paladin blocked the attack with her shield. Absol leapt out of nowhere and tackled the gargoyle to the ground, biting into its neck. The paladin turned; James had just destroyed the last of the nerubians and there was a nasty, vengeful grin on his face. _I am going to tear the Scourge off the face of Azeroth… Just you wait, Arthas,_ he thought, _just you wait…_

There was silence as the battle ended. The heroes walked slowly through the still-burning town, for the first time, getting to see the place properly. The buildings were charred and falling apart. Glass windows were partially melted and mostly shattered; signs lay on the ground or hung by one chain. In some places, ancient fire still burned strong, releasing dark smoke into the sky above, where the black clouds were lit with red firelight, except over the ziggurats, where the light was green. One such ziggurat lay before the adventurers. A banshee dressed in black robes waited for them.

"My, my, such powerful fighters! Allow me to… _invite_ you to join the Scourge…" she said, grinning and raising one clawed hand.

"Been there, done that," James growled. Every sword was out, every spell at the ready. Suddenly Misty fell to her knees as a bubble of golden light formed around her. She forced herself back to her feet.

"She tried to possess me!" the paladin panted, thankful that she'd remembered her divine shield spell – she would not have enjoyed harming her friends, especially not the mage, who had reacted to the attack on her instantly; he threw a fireball at the Baroness in retribution.

"Tsk, tsk, how _rude!_" she scolded, throwing a shadowbolt at the boy. "Well if you won't accept my _offer_, I guess I'm just going to have to _force_ it on you." She selected Jessie and possessed her instantly. "Let's see how well you fight against one of your own," the warlock said, preparing a fireball.

The group froze, momentarily unable to bring themselves to attack Jessie. Then the fire spell hit Ash. He cried out in pain, and pikachu immediately responded by shocking the warlock, forcing the banshee's soul out of her. She blinked in surprise as the Baroness reappeared at their side.

"Hurry!" Gary ordered, "kill her before she can possess anyone else!" He began to cast as many spells as he could in quick succession, a series of weak fireballs, fire blasts, and arcane missiles. Misty joined in with judgement spells, and Jessie with shadowbolts. James used weak frost strike spells to do his part in the attack. Baroness Anastari was taken by surprise at the sudden attack. She made a desperate attempt to save herself by attempting to possess the mage, but he simply froze himself in a block of ice until the banshee realized that it wasn't going to work. She returned to her own form as the mage magically broke out of the ice and threw a fireball at her. She screamed as she dissipated into the air.

"One down, two to go," the death knight said.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked, healing the injured warrior.

"We need to destroy the three crystals in the ziggurats in order to dismantle the Scourge occupation here," James replied, entering the ziggurat. There was the sound of an explosion before he returned calmly. He then wandered over to the next gate and unlocked it. At this point the undead were well aware that they were under siege. One third of their defenses were down, to just these six incredibly powerful raiders, three of them young children no less!

The gate opened; the Scourge forces were ready to repel the invaders. There were more of them than the invaders had anticipated. The casters struggled to keep their damage output consistent, carefully balancing their attacks and their mana. Brylith kept the ghouls at bay as her master carefully balanced her own life force and her mana; a skilled warlock could be fairly self-sustaining, feeding their mana by draining their own life, and feeding their life force by draining the strength of an enemy. By alternating between sacrificing portions of her life force and draining the unlife of her opponents, Jessie was able to fuel her own powers, but even she would not be able to keep at it forever – both life and magic slowly waned. Gary was not so lucky: he used the last mana potion and then turned to his evocation ability, but that was it. Having lost the mage's relatively large portion of the team's damage output, progress slowed. Gary turned to a wand, a weak magical item only used in emergencies, but it was better than nothing.

The night elf looked around at the streets of Stratholme, where armored fighter and pokemon alike battled against the relentless onslaught of the crypt fiends, banshees, and ghouls. She was beginning to feel doubt; they were losing the battle. No, they couldn't! Not after coming this far! She pressed onward.

The magical attacks had all but stopped, as the casters used their wands and only an occasional spell with their strained mana supply. Gary, however, was smart enough to keep a minimum mana level which he never allowed himself to drop below, in case he needed an emergency spell. Even so, it still put a cap on his effectiveness. It was up to the fighters to win this battle. James was still going as strong as he was at the beginning, an unrelenting force of darkness and death. Ash was beginning to tire but kept fighting; his friends' lives depended on his stamina. He could keep at it, physically, for quite some time, but that wasn't the problem. The group's general morale had dropped dangerously low, and they were on the verge of despair.

A scream pierced the air; the warrior whipped around just in time to see the huntress fall to the ground lifelessly.

"_**Starwisp!**_" he yelled. His eyes narrowed as he let out a fierce battle cry and doubled his attack rate, slicing through the undead in an unstoppable rage. In an instant, he alone turned the tide against the Scourge. He was no longer fighting for his life. Now he wanted _nothing_ but to avenge the fallen night elf. He completely ignored his own injuries; he was furious beyond the point of feeling pain. He didn't know what pain was, only rage. Between him and James, the group was _invincible_, save for _one_ factor: Misty. If she ran out of mana or died, they were all doomed, and she was alarmingly low on magical energy. She had to keep fighting in addition to healing; if she stopped attacking, she'd lose her mana source. That was her main weakness: she relied too heavily on the judgement of wisdom spell. In order for it to work and replenish her mana, she had to spend a good deal of her time attacking. She'd been able to pull this off until Ash went into such a killing frenzy; now she had to constantly heal him and she wasn't able to keep up with the demands her constant spellcasting put on her mana supply.

"_Ash, __**slow down**__! I can't keep up; if you don't slow down, I'll run out of mana!_"

James continued fighting by the warrior's side. He glanced sideways at him. "You heard the paladin, Twerp! Slow down or you'll get us all killed!"

Ash tried to listen, and thought he _was_ slowing down, but he was simply too angry to keep himself at a logical pace. The paladin could feel herself running out of mana. It was only when the shock of seeing Starwisp up on her feet and fighting again set in that the warrior slowed down and the paladin was able to recover from her precarious situation, but not fully.

"Starwisp?!" everyone exclaimed.

"I'll explain in a minute, keep fighting, for Elune's sake, _keep fighting!_"

The morale of the group skyrocketed with her 'return' and they finally overtook the Scourge forces as human, elf, and pokemon alike beat back their foes. They _knew_ they had the upper hand, and it was only a matter of taking victory; for it was already within their reach. More and more undead fell as the advantage of numbers failed them. When, at last, the battle was over, everyone collapsed onto the ground.

"But… I saw you die, Starwisp!" Ash said, "How did you-" he trailed off.

"I didn't die. I only faked it. I knew we'd lose the battle if we didn't seriously increase our damage output. That and I didn't want Misty to waste her mana healing me. I knew you'd all be very angry if I fell, so I faked my death to throw you into a rage and reduce the amount of healing the paladin would have to do."

"But it looked so convincing," Misty said, blinking.

"I have spent _many_ years hunting. Any self-respecting hunter knows not only how to feign death, but _when_ to feign it."

"Well… thanks, Starwisp. You've saved us all," Ash replied. Gary conjured food and water and handed it out before he, too, collapsed onto the ground with a sigh. There was a very, very long silence as the group recovered from the shock of the whole thing.

"_Holy shit!_" the mage said at last, "…that was _intense!_"

The group nodded in silent agreement as they prepared to continue fighting. They cast all their beneficial spells on one another, conjured anything they might need, etc.

James stood up. "Come on. Let's continue. The hard part is over. We've wiped out over half the Scourge forces in Stratholme. Now we just need to defeat the two last guardians of the ziggurats, destroy their crystals, and fight through the Slaughter House. The undead know they're losing and there's nothing they can do about it."

"Right."

The death knight pointed out the second ziggurat. To the surprise of the adventurers, it was guarded by an old – and _living_! – mage. He was a cultist, based on the tattoos around his eyes and the way he dressed. He stood when he saw them and began to cast a frostbolt. Gary countered with a fireball.

"Clever young boy. You'd make a good apprentice. Too bad you don't see the flaw of your ways! The Scourge will prevail in the end! We will bring about a new era of darkness!"

"Don't preach at me, old man," the young mage replied. He was not expecting the man to know warlock magic as well. He faltered and fell to one knee when old Maleki began to drain his life force. Luckily, this required the old man's concentration and he didn't see the paladin come at him from the side. He fell to the ground and Misty ripped her sword out of his chest.

"Ugh… thanks…." Gary said, standing again.

"That was… easy…" the paladin replied, "too easy…"

"Heal the mage and follow me," James ordered, walking to the entrance of the ziggurat. The others did as they were told. Four cultists attacked them, but fell fairly quickly to the now-experienced adventurers. The group looked around. They were in a circular room with a crescent shaped pillar near the middle. On the concave side of it there was a platform with a ramp, and around the platform there was a pit of green, bubbling goo. On top the platform was a green crystal. James walked up and casually destroyed it by bringing his sword down on it forcefully. It exploded. Without a word, the death knight led them out.

"One to go," Ash said. James led them past the fountain in the town square, to yet another gateway. It was already open, so the group just wandered in. The gates on both sides slammed shut. Every sword was out in an instant, every eye wide open. Then, much to the paladin's horror… the bugs came, announced by a shriek. Lots of bugs. Small, easy to kill, but _lots _of them. Roaches, spiders, and beetles among other things, literally fell out of nowhere. Gary dealt with the problem immediately with a well timed fiery blast wave.

"Ouch! Hey, warn us before you do that!" Ash said.

"Misty can heal you; stop whining."

The paladin raised a slightly shaky hand and healed everyone who'd been caught in the attack as James opened the gate up. She was less afraid of bugs now, but they _still_ creeped her out a bit. She followed the group as they continued. They were back near where they had been after going through the first set of gates in the city; only a few ghouls and a couple banshees remained, the rest having been slaughtered by the earlier part of their raid. They fell quickly as the group headed toward the last ziggurat. The nerubian at the entrance hissed and quickly came down toward the group. It lunged at the paladin, and she cried out in pain as its claw pierced her armor.

"Leave her alone!" the mage yelled, throwing a fireball at the crypt fiend's face. It hissed and came at him, but the warrior and death knight got in the way, holding the monster at bay with their blades. Nerub'enkan spat a web at Ash, capturing him where he stood as the monster went to attack the death knight. Pikachu was quick to respond with a thunderbolt.

"Absol, help Ash!" Gary ordered, firing a series of arcane missiles at the nerubian. The dark pokemon began to tug at the webbing with its teeth, ripping it and helping to free the warrior. A judgement spell hit the crypt fiend fairly hard and it spun to attack Misty. James took this as his chance to make a move. He stabbed his runeblade into the abdomen of the beast and it spun around to bite him. A shadowbolt struck it from the side. Jessie had summoned her imp in place of the succubus that had been with the group earlier and it was backing her up with weak fireballs.

"Your imp's stealin' my show, Jessie," Gary said jokingly, as he cast a very slow but powerful fireball known as a pyroblast. It hit Nerub'enkan and the crypt fiend collapsed. The group didn't even bother to follow James in. They knew he could handle anything in the ziggurat by himself. There was an explosion within, some sounds of combat, and then the death knight casually walked out, whistling a happy little tune to emphasize how easy it was. The rest of the adventurers laughed a bit. Any humor was appreciated in such a dark, gloomy place. They turned and went back through the gateway cautiously, though Misty was very reluctant to go – that is, Gary had to take her by the hand and half-guide, half-drag her through.

Stratholme, by that point, was fairly empty. When the group reached the gate to the Slaughter House, the Magistrate was waiting for them. He was a huge, zombie-like beast, vaguely resembling Frankenstein's monster. He gurgled and loped toward the group on all fours. He could have easily killed any member of the group one-on-one, but he was far outnumbered and went down after a respectable struggle.

"Here we are, the Slaughter House…" James said, peering in before opening the gate. There were many abominations on the other side. "We all ready?"

There was a murmur of agreement, and then the gate opened. The group charged in and the fight began immediately. The paladin consecrated the ground before rushing into melee combat. Fireballs and shadowbolts hit various abominations in the guts as the sword wielders hacked away. Their confidence was renewed after having wiped out almost all of the enemy forces. Victory was almost a certainty as they pressed onward; they could not lose, and now it was just a matter of _finishing_ it. James, Starwisp, Misty, and Ash fought with such ferocity that they actually forced the abominations back, toward the edge of the room. There was a groan and a thud as the first monster fell. Misty switched to a new target without even a moment's hesitation, quickly, smoothly, efficiently. A second abomination fell on the other side of the room. Unexpectedly it blew up, shooting several living slimes out.

"Kill 'em with ice!" Gary told James, casting a frostbolt at one to freeze and shatter it. The death knight did what he was told, the runes on his sword glowing bright blue as he harnessed its power to cause a small explosion of ice a few feet away. More and more abominations died, but the number of slimes increased. The death knight and the mage worked together to keep the oozes at bay while the others fought off the abominations. They had the advantage! There was a flash of light as Misty's judgement spell struck down the last of the abominations.

The group began to go about their usual between-battle routine, healing, restoring mana, etc. They didn't expect Ramstein.

"**Ramstein hunger for flesh!**" the giant abomination roared as it rushed out of the Slaughter House, slamming the doors behind it. The group was caught off guard, but they were quick to prepare. They were up and ready for battle before the abomination reached them. Ash taunted the beast and tried to keep its attention off the casters – should Ramstein go after them, they were as good as dead. The abomination, not being too intelligent, did exactly what the warrior wanted it to, while Misty put the occasional judgement spell on it, spending most of her time and mana healing Ash. James hacked away at the monster's sides, making sure not to draw its attention off the young warrior. Ramstein slammed his butchering axe down at the infuriatingly quick, powerful child that had the _nerve_ to taunt him, but the boy dodged the slow attack. Ash was doing his job so well that the abomination didn't even notice the shadowbolts, fireballs, arrows, and thunderbolts striking it from afar, nor did it notice the absol or vaporeon tearing at its feet. Until Gary cast a pyroblast. Big mistake on his part; the powerful spell distracted Ramstein, who used his heavy chain to knock Ash to the floor, stunning him, and then went after the mage.

"Uh oh!" The mage blinked away and froze himself in a block of ice. The abomination lumbered slowly over to crack the ice and kill the boy, but James came to the rescue. Slamming his runeblade into the monster's back repeatedly, he got it to turn around and try to attack him. Ice and snow swirled around him as he lunged repeatedly, quickly and powerfully. He dodged Ramstein's attacks with perfectly calm collectedness and agility. The ice block spell wore off of the mage, who teleported a few yards away.

"Don't slow down," he said, "James has it under control; just keep putting out the damage!"

"Right," Jessie said, continuing the stream of curses and shadowbolts, with her imp backing her up with fireballs. Gary started casting frostbolts, since they'd be less likely to draw the attention of the monster than giant fireballs. Misty continued healing until she was low on mana, at which point she joined in the attack, relying on her judgement of wisdom to supply her with magical power. Ash was up again, on his way to rejoining the fight, when Ramstein stunned James with a well placed strike to the head. The abomination turned to the paladin and struck her with a chain. The paladin stumbled, but then the crown and wings of light appeared for a moment as she slammed her sword straight into the abomination with a bright flash of light. Ramstein groaned and fell to the ground.

Again, the group stopped to rest. After they'd all been fully healed, finished drinking, and were ready to go, they entered the Slaughter House. The doors slammed shut behind them. They turned in shock, and looked around for ambushers. After a moment they heard the clattering of bones and the clinking of chainmail.

"Skeletal warriors," James said, preparing to fight. The warriors appeared, eye sockets glowing red, armor loosely draped around them, bits of flesh hanging off some of the bones. Each of the six held a greatsword.

"Press yourselves against the walls so we have room to fight!" Gary said, putting his back to the wall and holding his battle staff at the ready. There wasn't a whole lot he could do with spells in such tight quarters, but he could certainly whack things with a stick. The sword users continued what they'd been doing all along, while the warlock and huntress worked together. Aeroth harassed the skeleton fighting his master while she merely punched at it – her knife, as a stabbing weapon, would be useless against a skeleton. Jessie drained the strength of her foes for lack of a better option, as her only weapon was a dagger. Suddenly Misty had an idea. She consecrated the whole room. The skeletons hissed and wailed as they died.

"That was clever," Gary said.

"Not really; if I was clever that would have been the first thing I'd have done. But thanks…"

James glared ahead. "Now it's time… Vengeance will be _mine_." The death knight led the way into Rivendare's chamber.

"Ah, James, you great fool…" the Baron said.

"Rivendare, you traitor," James growled.

"I, the traitor? You're the one who turned on your master. You're a fool, James. You had _so much_ power and you _gave it all up!_"

"The Lich King used me. I'm not here to listen to your lecture, Rivendare. Get off your blasted horse and fight me like a man!"

Rivendare only continued his speech. "You were _the Elite,_ James, one of the highest ranking death knights in Acherus! You were powerful. You could have been part of the victory that will now be mine, when the Lich King brings about a new era! But you're a fool. A fool to give that all up…"

"_Fight me, you beast! I'll show you __**elite!**_" James roared, lunging at Rivendare violently. The Baron blocked the blade.

"Very good! Mmm, this will be an interesting challenge! But I think I'll stay _up here_…. Nobody says I have to play fair!" the Baron laughed.

"You're a monster!" the rebellious death knight yelled, attacking repeatedly.

"And you aren't?" Rivendare replied, smirking under his scarf as he and his fellow death knight battled it out. The Baron was winning. The paladin moved to help him but the mage held her back.

"No, Misty, this is James' fight. He has a personal reason to fight Rivendare."

"Go ahead, help your friend, paladin," the Baron taunted, stabbing James in the shoulder, "he's not enough of a challenge on his own. Fight me as a group so I can have some _real_ fun!"

"You asked for it, Rivendare!" Ash yelled, striking the undead horse's flank with his swords. It whinnied, distracting the Baron as it reared up. Rivendare turned to stab the warrior but was thrown off his mount by a frostbolt to the chest.

"Strong fighters, you are, for children… Ah, it's been a while since I got to kill a child."

"Only the twerps are children," Jessie replied, casting a shadowbolt on the Baron as he got to his feet. The skeletal horse reared up and Misty was about to kill it when James cried out.

"No, don't touch the horse! The mount is to be _mine_ when I defeat this monster! **Stand back!**"

Gary locked the mount in place with a frost nova. The two death knights circled one another in the center of the room, their runeblades ready.

"You trained under me, James; do you honestly think the student can surpass the master?" the Baron said.

"That was no choice of my own, beast. Look at it this way: I know all your secrets!"

"Oh? You mean like _this one?!_" Rivendare replied, suddenly moving to the side and grabbing his opponent by the arm, holding him straight out at the side, using his free hand to place his blade at James' neck.

"More like _this one._" The rebellious death knight used a frost spell to blast the runeblade right out of Rivendare's hand. He bent and turned, throwing the Baron onto the ground. He stood over his foe, sword at the Baron's throat. "Who's laughing now, Rivendare?" Before his enemy could reply, he slammed his sword down into Rivendare's neck. The fallen death knight's head rolled over to the side as the Baron was finally slain. James simply stood there as the ice that had been swirling around him dissipated.

He walked over to the still frozen horse and placed a hand on its snout. Dark magic appeared around his gloved hand as he bound the creature to him, then dismissed it. "My work here is _done._"


	15. Draconic Civil War

"Black dragons, hear me!" the ancient wyrm yelled out to the gathered dragons, ranging from young drakes to older beasts like himself, but none as large as him, "The time has come for us to take a stand! We all grow tired of our aspect's insanity. It has been this way for as long as anyone can remember, but now it is finally time for a change!

With the recent events among the other flights – the bronze dragons and their enemies, the infinites; the red flight's battle with the Scourge; the dealings of the greens with the emerald nightmare; and Malygos' decent into madness – dragonkind has found itself in an era riddled with change!

Of particular note is the blue flight, nay, the azure flight! Malygos has turned his flight against all other dragons and nearly all mortals. As we followed Neltharion blindly for so long, so too do the blues follow their aspect. But already, some of them are restless," the black dragon said, standing and beginning to pace in front of the others, "and are considering splitting off. The time is right for us to do the same!"

There was a general murmur amongst the gathered black dragons of Blade's Edge Mountains.

"Who will lead us?" one skeptical young adult asked, flicking his tail, "if we split off we won't have an aspect at all!"

"And what of Neltharion? Surely we'll all be killed if we try to split off," a male drake protested.

"We're feared, as all black dragons seek to be," a female stated.

The great wyrm raised his wings up in a motion for silence. He began again in his booming, commanding voice, "We are _feared_, yes. But, I ask you, fellows, are we wolves? Are we bears? Are we lions?"

There was a general roar of outrage at such a question in the crowd. The wyrm raised his wings again. "Then why should we be feared as animals are feared? Neltharion's insanity has led us all to be mindless machines of animalistic destruction! _He is driving us into the ground, into __**ruin**__!_ If we continue to follow him, we shall all be **destroyed**! But now, in this time of _change_," the dragon said, holding his head high and puffing his chest up with pride, standing tall above his fellow dragons on his rocky platform, "the _united_ might of the rebellious black dragons is enough to unlock us from these heavy shackles that we have worn for so long. There was a time when a handful of rebels would be put down quickly. There was a time when a small army of rebels would be put down after a few years. But now, the time is finally right. Now, if we split off, we could _succeed _against Deathwing!" He leaned forward on his rocky outcrop, bending his neck down to look his fellow dragons excitedly in the eyes. "No longer will we be merely _feared_ as monsters, but _respected_ as powerful warriors! Our heroes and leaders shall earn their place by actions, not because they bully the rest of us into submission! United, we are _strong!_"

The murmuring of the draconic crowd grew from annoyance and skepticism to hope and enthusiasm. The wyrm rose up proudly again, majestic and regal. "A new age for the black dragonflight will dawn, an age when we can once more count ourselves amongst the five flights, hopefully soon joined by rebellious blues following our example! How would you have history remember us, as the followers, or as the leaders? No longer will we be the 'ones on the other side', the 'villains'!"

The earlier murmurs grew into a loud cheer as the dragons threw back their heads and roared in their support and enthusiasm.

"Then so be it!" the wyrm yelled, "the days of Deathwing come to a close, and a _new era begins for the blackflight!_"


	16. The Dark Portal

"Well, here we are…" Gary said, as the adventurers stared up at the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands, "the portal to Outland… If you thought Azeroth was strange…"

"Didn't you mention Outland on our first day here? Something about too many portals?" Misty asked.

"Yeah. Outland used to be a world kinda like Azeroth… and then somebody opened too many portals and the world literally blew up. I've never seen it but I hear it's quite… _overwhelming_."

Starwisp nodded. "You'll all see what they mean by 'overwhelming' when we go through. Come on then, into the Dark Portal we go…"

"Right."

XXX

"…Whoa…" the warrior muttered, as he stared up into the sky. The other group members were totally speechless.

"Now… I've seen everything…" Jessie muttered. The landscape they had entered was dusty and red, very dry and rocky. There were great scars torn into the earth, including a great road along which demons marched relentlessly toward the portal, having to be held off by the combined forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Most notable was the alien sky. Despite the land being bathed in dusty daylight, stars and several very large planets were visible in the black sky, the lower portions of which was clouded with purple and orange smog. The whole thing was streaked with strange bands of glowing energy – the twisting nether itself. When they finally stopped gawking at the surroundings, they snapped back to reality. The Burning Legion led an unrelenting assault against the army massed around the portal.

"Come on," the mage said, leading the group toward a man who seemed to be in charge.

"What are you young ones doing out here? Hellfire Peninsula is no place for kids! We need all the help we can get, though, I suppose," the man said.

"We're tougher than we look," Ash stated.

"We're here to help," James added.

The man sighed. "If you're so eager to help, I'm sure Honor Hold could find a use for you. We need someone to take a report out there; talk to our gryphon master to the south and he'll send you out on the first beasts out of here."

"Right. Thank you."

As the group walked toward the gryphons, Misty rubbed her forehead as though she had a bad headache. Starwisp turned to her.

"You'll get used to it. Outland's atmosphere is different enough from Azeroth's that you might take a while getting used to it. Some of us take longer to adjust than others."

"Yeah," Ash said, "I was wondering why I felt a bit dizzy…"

As they flew over Hellfire, they got a better look at the world around them. Not only were there vast gashes in the landscape, many of them went straight through, revealing a great abyss below.

"That's what we were talking about when we said the magic of this world overloaded and blew the place up," the mage said, pointing down at the emptiness. Silence was the only reply.

The gryphons finally swooped down to land in an Alliance town. It had the same general architecture as most human cities, but it was battered, with many buildings beginning to fall apart. The adventurers made their way to a mage dressed in red who seemed to be instructing the rest of the soldiers.

"Reporting for duty from the Dark Portal," James said, as Gary handed over the report. Marshal Isildor raised one eyebrow.

"So _these_ are the reinforcements I've been promised? You're just kids!"

"If I had a gold coin for every time I heard that…" the young fire mage muttered.

"Alright, I get it, kid, if you were incompetent you wouldn't be here," the Marshal said. "At any rate, we need all the help we can get in this Light-forsaken place…" He spat in the dust. "Well, time to earn your pay. Report at once to Force Commander Trollbane within the keep. He and his advisors will no doubt be heartened to see you." The Marshal saluted them. "For the Alliance."

Misty was the first to echo the statement and motion, followed by Ash and Starwisp. The others just nodded and silently saluted. They found the Commander in the keep and again reported for duty. Upon seeing them, he raised an eyebrow at their age but decided not to question them – they had some pretty impressive gear and seemed to know what they were doing.

"Well met. Glad to see some reinforcements made it here safely. No time to rest though. I have a job for you. Rumors have surfaced that some new breed of orc is on the rise. Larger, meaner - more cunning than the brutes we're familiar with. If these rumors are true then our forces, already stretched, may be taxed beyond their limit. I have entrusted my lieutenant, Amadi, with investigating this matter. If you would help us in this dark hour, seek her out. She is stationed at the broken tower just west of the Hold. And be careful out there, kids. You're heading into a dangerous new world. Dismissed."

The adventurers mounted up and headed to the tower where they met a woman with graying hair and a weary expression.

"I suppose we need all the help we can get," she muttered, "you kids ready to get to work?"

"You bet we are," the death knight replied, eager to get to work.

"Very well. Your first task is to hunt down the fel orcs to the north. They're gathering scrap pieces of wood and metal for their war machines. Kill two birds with one stone by driving back the orcs and gathering the salvageable materials for us instead."

XXX

As the adventurers finished picking apart the remains of an old ballista, they started toward the tower, only for a pillar of fire to _narrowly_ miss Ash by a few inches.

"Gwah!" the warrior yelled as he bolted before trying to catch his breath and slow his heart rate back to normal. Gary reacted in the predictable mage fashion: he blinked away immediately.

Even the now nearly unsurprisable James reacted with shock. "What the-?"

After the sheer shock of it wore off, Misty muttered "And I was just getting used to Azeroth…"

"Well," the mage said, "now we know why it's called _Hellfire_ Peninsula…"


	17. Zaraia's Return

"Alright. You kids are skilled. Report back to the Force Commander; he'll tell you where to go next. Your skills would best be put to use elsewhere, where we need more competent individuals."

"Thanks, Lieutenant," Ash replied.

XXX

They arrived at the small outpost they'd been sent to by the Commander, and reported for duty. Unsurprisingly, Sergeant Altumus reacted to their age the same way as nearly everyone else had.

"Force Commander Danath may have misunderstood my request for reinforcements. You look capable, for kids, but... I asked for a full sized battalion, not a rag-tag bunch of teens and a couple young adults!"

"We have the strength of a battalion," Gary replied with a smirk.

"Well… at any rate, we have a bit of a demon problem out here. Doom Lord Kazzak commands the Burning Legion in Outland. While we can't get to Kazzak - yet - we can and must get to his lieutenants that command Legion troops from the ground. They have stationed dreadlords at the Path of Anguish, east of here. To take them and their minions out would be a great set back to the Burning Legion."

"Right."

The group trekked across the hot landscape, until they came to the top of a cliff. There, they found the demons they were looking for. Strange stone creatures with green flames erupting from within trudged about aimlessly.

"Infernals," muttered Starwisp, "powerful but unintelligent. They're constructs created by dreadlords…"

"How do we kill them? They're made of stone and fire… How do we damage that?" Ash inquired.

Gary pointed at Misty. "Paladin."

"What about da mage's ice and arcane spells?" Meowth asked.

"That'd work too, I guess. On that note, James could also be effective against them."

"I could enslave one of them and turn it against the others," Jessie offered.

"That sounds like a plan," the warrior said, "but what about Starwisp and me?"

"We're going to just sit this one out, Ash, and wait for the dreadlord to show up… He'll be vulnerable to arrows and swords."

"Alright then," the mage said, "let's do this. Jessie, whenever you're ready."

"Right." The warlock enslaved the nearest infernal and turned it against the others of its kind. Ice rained down around it as the mage began his attack, then James charged in, his runeblade glowing, followed by Misty. They were all effective, but it really was the girl's time to shine; being a paladin, her holy spells were very effective against the demonic constructs. The sounds of combat drowned out all else as the infernals fought and fell before the brave adventurers, until a voice rang out.

"_What in the name of the Legion is going on here?_" the dreadlord roared as he landed roughly and folded his bat-like wings.

"Now!" Starwisp commanded, firing off her arrows at the demon. He charged at her, but his path was blocked by the fierce young warrior. The dreadlord slashed at the boy but couldn't get to him through the twin swords that blocked his every motion. So infuriated by this nuisance he was, that he failed to notice Misty. Having caught him off guard, the paladin easily struck the demon down with an exorcism spell and a judgement.

Gary grinned. "I love paladins."

Ash turned and smirked slyly. "No, you love _a_ paladin…"

"_What's that supposed to mean?_"

"Nothin', nothin' at all…" He turned away and 'coughed', but it sounded suspiciously like 'Misty'. The mage simply ignored him.

XXX

"Outstanding work, soldiers. The frequency of the attacks is sure to lessen - at least until they bring forth new dreadlords. Now for the bad news: I've got your new orders..." the Sergeant said, "Your battle prowess has been noted by high command. They want to send you to the front lines to meet up with Rohamus' crew. Head east about 400 paces, across the Valley of Bones, until you run into a destroyed fel reaver. You'll see Expedition Point where a Legion base used to stand. Once there, you are to report to Forward Commander Kingston. Now move out!"

XXX

"You'll find the Legion front to our northeast, and spaced along it are portals used to gather reinforcements from throughout Outland. We are going to destroy those portals! Take this primer. Designed in Area 52, it uses the demons' own power as an explosive device. Defeat Legion forces around Portals Grimh and Kaalez to gather demonic rune stones, use the primer to detonate the stones inside the portals... then watch the fireworks!"

"I'm ready! Let's show those demons why they shouldn't mess with the Alliance!" the warrior said, already starting toward the portals.

"That's the spirit, kid," the Forward Commander said, saluting the group as they moved out on their mission. They didn't have to go far before they saw the demons a short distance away. And they weren't the only ones there. A young, female blood elf mage stood near a cliff wall, a look of desperation and panic on her face as she frantically cast a series of arcane missiles at the eredar warrior before her, which had apparently wandered away from the others.

"Hey! That's the blood elf girl from Stranglethorn Vale!" Ash said. Zaraia's spells fizzled out as she ran out of mana. She dodged the sword of the demon and backed away. The elf tripped on a rock and fell to the ground, her back against the cliff face, staring in horror at what was to be her imminent demise. The eredar's tail swished back and forth as it snarled, raising a blade to kill the girl.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Starwisp cried out as the warrior charged.

"Saving that blood elf!" The eredar turned its head; its eyes widened. Ash slammed his swords mercilessly into the unprepared demon with such force that he and the demon both flew to the ground. The demon, bleeding badly, grabbed the warrior by the neck and threw him backwards; he slammed into the ground but flipped onto his feet, cape flowing regally. The blood elf looked up at the human who'd saved her life in awe. The demon was still lying on the ground, clutching its wounded side. The warrior walked over calmly and raised his sword, then forced it deep into the monster's heart. He turned to the girl. "You okay?"

"I… I'm fine…." Zaraia muttered, blinking. The warrior extended a hand to help her up, but she got up on her own. "Thanks…" She was looking at the boy as though she'd had some kind of revelation. After a moment she muttered, "Maybe I was wrong about you humans…"

Gary waved at her. "Remember me?"

"You're…. Ah… It starts with a G, I think…"

"Gary. Heh, it's alright. Uh, you're… Zar… Zarai?"

"Close. Zaraia Pentalon. Pleased to meet you all… again…" She turned to the warrior. "I'd like to know the name of the one who saved me…"

"My name's Ash."

One by one, the others introduced themselves.

"Ah, hate to ruin the moment here, but," Gary suddenly said, "we're _on a mission at the moment,_ and a little _too_ close to a demon outpost for comfort. We need to do what we were sent here to do and move on."

"Do you want to come with us?" Ash asked.

"Wh- huh? Y-you mean…?" Zaraia stammered.

"_She's a blood elf!_" Starwisp snarled.

"Shut up, _kaldorei scum!_"

"**No fighting or I'll turn you both into sheep!**" Gary said, taking command of the group again. The two elves stopped fighting. "Starwisp's got a point. We can't very well walk around Alliance towns with a _blood elf_ in tow, for her safety and our own!"

"A truce has to start somewhere," Ash pointed out.

The fire mage sighed. "Alright. Zaraia can come with us for a while and we'll decide based on how it works whether she can stay or not. Now let's kill those demons."

XXX

The group sat around the camp fire in Expedition Point. It had taken some clever talking on Gary's part, but they'd convinced the people there that Zaraia meant no harm. The night air was cool and calm around them. The blood elf sat on part of a deconstructed fel reaver, looking at the death knight for a while before saying "James… you kinda remind me of my papa…"

"What?" the Rocket said, not really sure how to react to that statement.

"You look sorta like him, but he had long blond hair, and pointy ears, of course."

"You're talking about him in the past tense," Gary said, "Did you lose your parents too?"

"Only Papa… And… I recently found out that he's a death knight now too… James? Do you know anyone named Anando?"

"Sorry… I don't."

"Oh…" Zaraia kicked her feet a bit. "Papa spends all his time crusading with paladins now… I know it's because he loves me and Mama and wants to keep us safe… but I still miss him…" She bit her lip.

"Sorry…"

"Well you've got us, now," Ash said, in an attempt to cheer the girl up.

Zaraia nodded and slowly smiled a bit. "Yeah…"


	18. Hellfire Burns

Misty still hadn't quite adjusted to the atmosphere. She rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"You alright?" Gary asked, "You look kinda sick… Maybe you should get some sleep…" He walked over to her with an expression of concern.

"I'll be fine…"

"You don't have a fever or anything, do you? Don't think you'll be holding the group back or anything..."

"No, I'm fine!" the paladin replied, somewhat exasperated. She laughed.

"Well… Alright, if you say so... But get some rest, anyway, okay…?"

Soon, after everyone else had settled down for the night, the mage tore part of his cape off, magically repaired the cloak, conjured some refreshingly cold water, soaked the piece of cloth, and placed it gently on the sleeping paladin's forehead. He smiled a bit, and ran his fingers lightly through her hair. He stood and turned, walking quietly away, unaware that he'd woken the girl. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked over sleepily to see who had awakened her. She smiled slightly and closed her eyes again. _You know,_ she thought, _he really isn't that bad… Even though he sometimes acts like a jerk, he's really just a big softie underneath it all… And… a real sweetie too…_

A few minutes later her eyes snapped open as she realized just what she'd just been thinking, and just _who_ she'd been thinking about. _Wait… __Gary Oak__? What am I thinking?_

XXX

"You kids ready for today's mission?"

There was a general murmur of confirmation.

"Just west of the Dark Portal are two huge transporters: Gateway Murketh and Gateway Shaadraz. If you look east up the Path of Glory, you'll see them on either side of the road. I want you to bomb them both into rubble! Here are the bombs you'll use, specially designed by a goblin in Area 52. Now, speak with Wing Commander Dabir'ee -- he'll put you each on a gryphon and send you on your way."

"Bomb?" A _huge_ grin spread across Gary's face. "I get to blow stuff up? _Well let's get started then!_"

Ash faked a cough, thinly disguising the word 'pyromaniac'.

"You only just _now_ figured that out?" the fire mage replied, still grinning, "Come on, let's go, I wanna blow stuff up."

XXX

Flying an armored gryphon, lighting bombs, and proceeding to throw them accurately at a distant target proved to be much more difficult than any member of the group had expected. Of the entire group, Jessie was the best shot, but Gary was the best flyer, though neither held the title of _best_ by much. Where the others circled above slowly, the brave mage repeatedly dove straight into the action, tossing the bomb at very short range to make up for his rather bad aim with physical objects – he'd grown used to aiming spells – at the risk of putting himself within range of enemy attacks.

It was _infuriating_ to the demons below to see these adventurers circling above them, out of range, tossing explosives down on them and their gateways. As a result, Gary drew more attention than anyone else for his relentless sabotage on the portals, since he was the only one close enough to actually be attacked. The demons lashed out at the gryphon, at one point nearly striking him out of the sky. The gryphon shrieked as a blade tore lightly into its wing; its rider abandoned his current attack round and simply dropped the bomb without aiming, before gaining as much altitude as he could in as short a time as possible, wide-eyed in shock and yet somewhat enjoying the thrill of aerial combat.

"Watch what you're doing, twerp, you're gonna get yourself killed at dis rate!" Meowth shouted, tossing another bomb down from his station on the back of the saddle of James' gryphon.

There was an explosion as the second gateway burst into flames from a well-placed attack on the paladin's part.

"Let's get outta here!" the warrior yelled, eager to escape. He turned his mount back toward the camp, followed by the others.

The dwarf laughed with glee as the adventurers returned. "You lot just put me in an uncharacteristically good mood! Well done out there! Since you've proven yourselves fairly skilled with gryphons, I have another bombing mission for you – starting from Shatter Point, a floating rock off the edge of Hellfire."

"A floating rock?" Jessie inquired.

"Dis sounds like it could go wrong in so many ways," Meowth mumbled.

"Ah, you have tough guts; you'll do fine!" He gestured toward the gryphons. "Mount up and they'll take you out to Shatter Point."

XXX

"Ah, fresh recruits from the mainland! Well, don't worry - Shatter Point might make you queasy but she doesn't stray far! And I've only seen her flip upside down once... or twice."

"Oh, isn't that comforting," the paladin muttered.

"Listen kids, I got a couple more bombing missions for you…"

XXX

"Good news and bad news. The good news is that we've located the Legion's last base in the area – Invasion Point: Annihilator. It houses a warp-portal through which the Legion has been drawing its reinforcements! The bad news is that we can't bomb it effectively. You're going to have to go in on foot, kill their leader, take the warp-key, and close that portal!"

"Wait a minute," Jessie said, "why _us?_ Don't you have higher-ranking, more powerful soldiers?"

"Well, as much as we never would have thought it by looking at you, you're one hell of a team! Frankly, nobody else is better suited to this mission than you."

"Well," Zaraia said, "let's get out there and show those demons!"

"Right," the other mage replied, "Mount up, guys – it's time for a little _raiding party_."

Ash laughed. "I see what you did there."

They rode along the ridge so that they could examine their target.

"Whoa…" the warrior muttered, "that's a _lot_ of demons…"

"There's no _way_ we can take them all down…" Misty replied.

"Oh, but there _is_ a way…" Gary assured his allies, grinning smugly.

"Uh oh. He's got _that_ look on his face," Ash said.

The mage looked around until he saw what he was searching for – a narrow chasm in the cliffs.

"Alright. Gather every flammable object you can get your hands on. Branches, dry grass, any flammable junk you happen to have in the plane of storage – even the bodies of our enemies can provide good fuel if necessary." He sighed when he saw the looks on the others' faces. "I know. A bit morbid, but necessary. Just gather fuel for a fire and line the edges of that chasm."

XXX

"Alright den," Meowth said, looking over the piles of scrap wood, dried grasses, old rags, a few dead demons, and even some oil from a broken fel reaver, "you've turned dis place into a tinderbox. What's your big plan, mage?"

"Simple enough. Starwisp is going to just shoot at a couple demons, and lead them into the ravine, causing as much fuss as she can. Then Ash and James – being the most… _durable_ members of the group – will block the path at the very end and hold the demons back while more and more Legion forces in the camp become aware of what's happening and swarm the ravine. Then it's just a matter of Zaraia and me putting in a well-timed fireball or two and they _all go up in flames_."

"Well that's… one way to do it…" Jessie replied, scratching her head at the complete insanity of the idea. The mage merely shrugged and grinned.

"Do we have a backup plan if this fails?" Starwisp asked.

"Do I _ever_ have a backup plan? If this fails, all hell breaks loose and we get a repeat of Stratholme. No more needs to be said."

"We handled Stratholme quite well," James pointed out, "so I'm confident we can handle this."

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah."

"Here goes…" the night elf muttered, dashing down the fissure, between the fuel piles. The warrior and death knight drew their weapons, ready to step in the way as soon as the huntress returned. Moments later, Starwisp came rushing back to the group.

"_Now!_" she ordered as she ran past Ash and James. They stepped forward, blocking the path. They had to fight with all their strength to keep the demons back. According to plan, more and more of the beasts kept backing up within the ravine, scrambling to get in.

"Now, Gary!" the warrior yelled over his shoulder, "We can't hold them back much longer!"

A fireball struck the fuel-coated wall; the flames leapt across the demons and onto the other wall, as the warrior and death knight backed away from the now-blazing chasm. Demons tried to escape out both ends but it was too late; they were burning to death.

Gary looked quite satisfied. "Why bother to overpower the enemy when it's so much easier to outsmart them?"

"Come on," Zaraia said, as the last of the demons in the canyon fell, "We need to get to what remains of their force at their camp before they call for reinforcements! We need to find their leader, slay him, take the key, and shut the portal down!"

"Right." Gary began to climb out of their end of the ravine, over some fallen rocks, and the others followed him. They returned to the place they had first observed their target from.

"We've taken out almost their entire force!" Misty said. "I'd say there are only about a fifth of them left. We should be able to just assault the camp with no problems now."

Zaraia cast a slow fall spell on all members of the group, before jumping off the cliff and floating safely to the bottom, followed by her fellow mage, and then the rest of the party. What remained of the Legion at that camp fell quickly and uneventfully, until finally the adventurers encountered the Warbringer himself.

"You are strong, for mere humans and elves. Nonetheless, your resistance is, ultimately, futile."

"You're not welcome here, demon," Misty said, pointing her sword at him threateningly. The tall eredar merely laughed at her.

"Typical paladin! You think you're so powerful… Allow me to show you how _utterly wrong_ you are…" And with that, Arix'amal charged. The young paladin blocked his sword with her shield, but the force of the impact sent her flying backwards. The fire mage caught her and she steadied herself quickly as he prepared a pyroblast. The pokemon were quick to join the fray, as were their masters.

"_Attack, you stupid bird!_" Starwisp screamed at her owl, shrugging her shoulder violently enough to throw Aeroth off. The bird hooted a few times before flying at its target. The demon put up quite a fight but was _no_ match for the collective force of the adventurers; he collapsed to his knees, panting. He raised a blade to defend himself when Misty approached him, but she disarmed him easily and slew him with a quick blow to the neck.

"You've gotten more used to this than I would have thought," Gary observed.

"It was a demon of the Burning Legion; it deserved to die." She knelt and searched through the demon's hip pouches for the key. A moment later she walked over to the group. "Jessie, you know more about demon runes than I do. Think you can sabotage this portal?"

"I can certainly try, twerp. Give me the keystone." The warlock took the stone and placed it in the control panel of the portal. The plate came to life immediately, previously invisible runes beginning to glow fel-green. The Rocket studied the runes for a minute, deciphering them. At last she tapped a series of the runes, first causing the portal to close, then destroying the platform by overloading the machine.

"Well done," James commented.

"Good job, all of you!" Gary said, "Let's get out of here."


	19. Zaraia's Story

After two and a half days in the blistering heat of Hellfire, the cool, foggy air of Zangarmarsh was welcoming and enjoyable as the group found themselves wandering amongst giant mushrooms.

"The scale of this place really makes you realize just how _small_ we all are, doesn't it? Kinda makes you feel insignificant…" the fire mage mused as the adventurers rode through the swamp.

"_You?_ Feeling _insignificant?_ Who are you and what have you done to Gary?" Ash replied in mock astonishment.

"Haha, very funny."

"Indeed we are small and insignificant in the grand course of things," Starwisp said. She aimed a sideways glare at Zaraia. "Some of us are more insignificant than others."

"You mean like yourself, night elf?" the sorceress quipped in unconcealed disdain.

"_You _keep quiet, dirty sin'dorei slut."

"_Did you just call me a __slut__?_" Zaraia exclaimed.

"Why yes, yes I did," the huntress replied calmly, pointing her nose in the air and glancing scornfully at the blood elf.

"_You_ have no right to call me such things, stupid grape-skin!"

"Hey!" Ash interrupted, "Stop talking to each other like that!" The two elves begrudgingly stopped their senseless bickering but continued to give each other nasty glares for several minutes.

"Look," James said, deliberately trying to change the topic, "there's the Cenarion Refuge. Perhaps they'll have some tasks for us. We still need much more training, after all – we're nowhere near strong enough to face the might of the Scourge yet; trust me, I should know."

"We should rest first," the paladin pointed out, "we've been traveling and fighting all day long…"

"She has a point," Gary agreed, "we'll set out on a new quest tomorrow. We've had enough for today."

XXX

The warrior found himself following the mysterious blood elf into the marsh. Zaraia sat down on a fallen mushroom's stalk, staring into the mist. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, but she remained motionless. After a moment, Ash sat down on the other end of the stalk, but the elf didn't seem to notice him.

"So why are you always off by yourself?" he asked. No response. "Is it because of Starwisp?" The elf only looked at the ground. "Why do you hate night elves – and the Alliance in general, for that matter – so much? It can't be just because you're Horde, can it?"

There was a long silence before Zaraia spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "Night elves nearly killed me, once… And… Humans killed the family of… someone I cared about…"

"And who is that?"

"… His name was Vaku… It… It's a long story…"

"I have time. Start from the beginning."

"Well, when Papa was alive, he was a mage… When the Scourge attacked Silvermoon, he went to fight them off, to protect Mama and me… And he didn't come back – it wasn't until recently I found out what had become of him, though we'd always suspected it… But it was in his honor that I decided I, too, wanted to be a mage… I… I dreamed of being part of the Kirin Tor – the mages of Dalaran… So I set out, on my own… I was… happy then, mostly…"

"You're always so sad now…"

Zaraia remained silent for a moment, not looking at Ash, before finally continuing. "I found myself under the care of a noble – he was a mercenary and an assassin, but he had a good heart… His name was Lord Wenzel, as funny as the name sounds… He knew a bit of magic, and he taught me. He only had one other apprentice, Vaku… He and I… we were… very close friends…" The girl sniffled and tried to not sob.

"… You were more than friends, weren't you…?"

The blood elf blushed faintly but did not deny it. "I don't know that he returned my feelings… I-I never told him…"

The warrior felt guilty asking her about these things. It made her so much sadder. But he could not resist learning more about her. He needed to know why she was the way she was. "…What happened to him?"

"He… just disappeared… vanished off the face of Azeroth, without a trace!" Zaraia sobbed and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"… I'm sorry…"

"That's when I started becoming depressed… I met a hunter by the name of Jez, and I'm glad I met him when I did… My other friends were being killed off or vanishing as well, and… I needed someone to keep me from just losing it entirely… Jez was my anchor to sanity… And yet, he tore me apart…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"He- I- I… still loved Vaku…"

"…Oh…"

"Jez respected that and tried to move on… If-If I'd just given up on Vaku and… If I'd just… Jez would never have died if-"

"Oh no… What happened to _him?_"

"He was on his way to see his girlfriend when the zeppelin he was on crashed…" The tears were flowing freely from the elf's eyes now. "H-He was my last friend… I needed him…"

"What about Lord Wenzel? Didn't you still have him?"

"He… disappeared… I assume he's dead."

"_Him too?_" Ash exclaimed. It was no wonder this girl was so bitter! Her life had been nothing but one slap in the face after another!

"And… with him, I lost not only my friend and teacher, but my future… I was too far into my training to start over with someone else, and not far enough in that I could pick it up with another teacher… So now I'm just trying to teach myself… I don't know why…" The tears had stopped. Zaraia was now staring with unfocused eyes into the distance, the light breeze blowing her hair lightly around in front of her otherwise motionless form. "My life has no meaning anymore… I have no future as a mage of Dalaran… Only one parent in a shattered home to go back to – a life I don't think I could live, now that I've experienced so much more…" There was a very long silence as the blood elf hung her head in despair. "And no Vaku to comfort me…"

"You still have feelings for him, don't you…?"

"I… Only faintly… I-I clung to the hope that he might return for a long time… It was all I had left…" She glanced sideways at the warrior and forced a small smile. "Until I met you… and your friends, too."

Ash blinked back a few tears and nodded, before also forcing a smile despite the decidedly morose atmosphere. "You're not alone anymore, Zaraia… You've got us now."


	20. Just Another Day

Morning came, though it still looked somewhat like twilight in the unique atmosphere of the Zangarmarsh, despite the clearly rising sun bathing the world in warm light from the east. After eating, the group followed the advice of a druid, setting out for Orebor Harborage. The adventurers on their wide variety of mounts, ranging from James' skeletal warhorse to Starwisp's tiger, followed the dirt roads and wooden bridges across the semi-foggy landscape, through the forest of giant mushrooms, in search of the Broken outpost. It was peaceful and mysterious; strange creatures floated and walked and swam in the hauntingly beautiful land.

Zaraia and Gary began to talk to each other in Thalassian (though the boy had some trouble with the language), much to the irritation of the others who couldn't understand them. The group eventually learned to ignore it, until Ash commented on the conversation.

"I hear my name popping up a lot there. Are you talking about me?"

"Actually," Gary said, "it's just that 'ash' is a common verb-modifier in Thalassian – and Darnassian for that matter – so if you hear _me_ saying it, chances are I'm just using the word, not your name. Although _Zaraia_ actually _has_ been talking about you _quite a bit_…" He smirked and glanced sideways at the blood elf in a friendly but taunting manner. She blushed and yelled something angrily at him in Thalassian, but he merely laughed, prompting her to continue yelling with even more vigor. "Alright, alright!"

"Do I even want to know?" the warrior asked.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I can't tell you anyway because she threatened to turn me into a cat if I did," Gary replied, grinning through the whole sentence.

XXX

"The small band of Broken you see here is a mission from a larger settlement in Nagrand. The Kurenai, as we call ourselves, are Broken who desire to reunite with our draenei brothers. My group has come here to strengthen Kurenai ties to the draenei of Telredor. If the Ango'rosh ogres have their way, this temple will not stand much longer. They have cleared the Hewn Bog of its towering mushrooms and draw ever closer to our refuge. If you would call yourselves our friends, aid us in fighting this enemy."

"Alright, let's go then," Zaraia said.

"Man," the fire mage said as he summoned his horse, "seems like we spend more time riding than questing… I'm glad we have mounts!"

"No kidding," the paladin agreed.

After a long ride, the group found themselves in a cleared area where several ogres worked, chopping felled mushrooms into pieces for unknown purposes.

"Stay near the edges," Gary said, "we'll pick them off from the outside; if we run straight in we'll be swarmed from all sides. Starwisp, a carefully placed arrow should be able to draw the ogres' attention one at a time, if you target those wandering a bit too far away…"

"Very well, but they're closely packed so we may end up fighting more than one," Starwisp replied, shooting an arrow. The ogre, of course, cried out loudly enough to alert two of its friends, and the three monsters charged. "Attack, you stupid bird!" the elf commanded, throwing Aeroth from her shoulder. James was the second into action, icy wind already whirling around him as the warrior aided him in keeping the casters safe.

"I'll take the one on the left. Zaraia, you take the one on the right. Jessie, the one in the middle is yours; drain its soul or something," Gary commanded, preparing a signature fireball. The blood elf simply started casting arcane missiles on her target. Jessie tried to remain relatively unnoticeable while her voidwalker distracted the ogre. Meanwhile, Meowth hacked away at the ogres' ankles rather ineffectually with the shortsword he'd picked up some time ago, vaporeon at his side. Misty decided to stand back and heal, since group members were divided fairly evenly.

"Help!" Zaraia yelped, putting up her mana shield as the ogre stopped paying attention to Ash and came after the fragile blood elf.

"Hey! Leave the squishy mage alone, ugly!" Ash taunted, "Or are you too weak to handle a warrior?"

"Me not weak!" the ogre roared, charging at the warrior again. Zaraia gave a quiet sigh of relief.

"Be careful, Zara! You don't want to draw too much attention," Gary said, casting pyroblast and not realizing the irony of this statement.

"Says _Gary_," Ash replied, "who is now a _fire mage_, of all things. 'Don't want to draw too much attention', yeah right!"

"Heh, didn't think of that," the mage said. His attack killed the ogre, and he started to help Ash and Zaraia, while James aided Jessie and Starwisp. With two mages and a warrior attacking, that ogre was quick to fall as well, and the third didn't last long at all with the entire party ganging up on it.

XXX

"I don't know why he didn't just send us after Overlord Gorefist in the first place," Misty said as the adventurers rode to the ogre encampment a second time, "it would have saved us a trip!"

"Who knows?" the fire mage replied, riding alongside her.

"Maybe they wanted to verify that we could be trusted not to defect to the Overlord's side," Starwisp suggested.

"Probably," Meowth agreed, sitting on Jessie's felsteed's flank for lack of a mount of his own for obvious reasons.

"Alright guys, we're going to have to dismount and-" Gary began, suddenly looking completely baffled. "What the…?"

The others looked up at whatever had caught the mage off guard. Two black dragons had just flown into view, in hot pursuit of one another. They spun and dove in the sky above Zangarmarsh as they fought. Unbeknownst to the adventurers below them, the two dragons were fighting in a draconic civil war – one was loyal to Deathwing while the other was part of the Onyx Revolution. They fought above the clearing for a while, moving toward the Blade's Edge Mountains while the party below watched, until they finally flew out of sight. The group members blinked a few times and just looked at each other silently.

"Well, that was… unexpected…" Jessie muttered.

XXX

"At last! Thank you all! You've proven yourselves, at a time when trust is hard to win among my people. A large group of my brethren have made their home in the old draenei city of Telaar in Nagrand, to the south. To reach Telaar, take the road south into Nagrand, then continue southeast until you find yourself in the cliffs east of Oshu'gun. Seek out Nahuud and give him this letter. It details your deeds here, and surely the people of Telaar would welcome you."

"Thanks; we'll head out right away."


	21. Stealth and Brute Force

"You have proven yourselves friendly, but you've yet to show your strength – the ogres here are much more dangerous and powerful than those of Zangarmarsh. If you seek to prove yourselves valuable allies, bring me a necklace of obsidian beads from the ogres to the east," the Broken draenei said.

The adventurers merely nodded and silently set out.

"It's very pretty out here," the paladin commented as they rode to the Burning Blade Ruins.

"I've seen prettier things," the fire mage replied, quietly, as though somewhat afraid to speak up, while looking at her thoughtfully.

"Like what?"

"Uh…" Gary suddenly lost his courage and tried to change the subject. "Uh, hey, there are the ruins! Let's hurry this up so the Kurenai will give us some more _interesting_ tasks; I'm sure they'll have some cool things for us all to do once we prove ourselves to them!"

Ash considered pointing out how obvious the mage's topic-dodge had been and taunting him about it, but decided that it was not worth the payback that Gary would get at some point or another.

The adventurers fought their way into the camp, but none of the ogres they were killing had necklaces. However, they _did_ come across a young Broken.

"Hey! Hey! Can you guys get me outta here?" the kid begged in a rather nasal voice from inside the cage, "My father will pay you a lot of money if you get me outta here! Please?"

"Of course we'll get you out of here! What's your name?" Misty asked.

"I'm Corki," the Broken child replied, rattling the door of his enclosure in a frustrated manner, "Who are you? Do you think you can get the key from the ogres? I'm sure one of them around here has it…"

XXX

"Thank you for rescuing my son. I apologize for the inconvenience; he's constantly getting himself into trouble."

"No problem," Zaraia assured the Broken.

"What next?" Jessie inquired, eager for more action – and more importantly, more _gold_.

"Wanted: Dead or Alive: Giselda the Crone of Kil'sorrow and her lackeys for murder, ritual sacrifice, communing with the Legion, kidnapping, and burglary," Gary read the sign aloud to the others, "Known to congregate at Kil'sorrow Fortress in southeastern Nagrand, near the border of Terokkar. Large gold reward to be dispensed by Warden Moi'bff Jill at Telaar to anyone able to bring Giselda to justice…"

XXX

The adventurers entered Giselda's hut as stealthily as they could; even though standing inside was a bad idea, it was better than being in the village.

"The building's round; we need to watch both ways and not draw attention from either direction; how are we gonna pull this off?" Zaraia whispered.

"I'll send vaporeon ahead to gather information," Misty offered, "she can slink around behind crates and whatnot. Then Meowth can translate for us."

"Dat's a good plan," the talking pokemon agreed.

"Yes, while we stay here and watch each other's backs so nothing sneaks up on us," James added, "good."

The paladin let her pokemon out of her pokeball and whispered the plan to her. Vaporeon gave a silent nod before slipping with all the silence of a shadow and the flexibility of a stream of water in between a pile of boxes.

The adventurers looked for a place to hide, but there really wasn't much for creatures larger than a cat to hide behind. Starwisp ended up shooting an orc in the head with an arrow and letting the group hide behind the large pile of supplies it had been guarding – the only place suitable for hiding – while she shadowmelded nearby.

The water pokemon peered out from her hiding place at the orcs. As soon as they looked away she darted out and under a pile of sacks of grain. She decided that it would be worth it to use the highly-draining but reliable ability that her kind shared – turning into water. As an unnoticeable puddle, she flowed down a corridor and found herself in the presence of several Kil'Sorrow cultists and Giselda herself: a shadowy orc with pale hair, half spectral, half corporeal. Vaporeon trickled back over to a box, where she regained her normal form – maintaining a water form for too long was tiring. She slipped along behind crates, bags, nets, and other clutter until she reached her master. The water pokemon reported her findings to Meowth, who translated it.

"She says dere's one or two orcs on the way to the corridor leadin' to the center… But dere's about four cultists dere, surrounding Giselda… Who's in some kinda shadow form…"

"Shadow priestess," Starwisp muttered, removing herself from shadowmeld, "that tells us quite a bit about her fight style… Let's follow the vaporeon's path and hopefully we won't have much of a problem with Giselda or her minions."

"Right," the warrior agreed.

"Then let's get moving," Gary said, starting in the direction vaporeon had come from. He called out his absol on the way to Giselda's chamber. An orc attacked him but the paladin got in the way, protecting the mage with her shield. This took both the attacker and the intended target by surprise, but Gary was quick to recover and cast a fireball from behind the protective girl.

"Thanks," he muttered, as he cast the spell. The rest of the team was quick to back them up, and the orc went down quickly and relatively quietly. The adventurers moved swiftly along, vaporeon leading the way. "Alright, same thing as when we killed VanCleef, way back in Westfall. Three pokemon and the owl take down the guards while the rest of the team focuses on the main target."

"Right," Starwisp replied. She looked at her owl as it sat on her shoulder, looking at her with big, blank, stupid eyes. "Attack, you dumb bird!" she hissed urgently, before the owl took flight, accidentally whacking its master's head with a wing in doing so. "Ouch! I swear," the night elf muttered, "that bird has nothing but feathers in his head as well as on it…"

The fight had begun. There was an explosion of noise and chaos as vaporeon and absol darted right past Giselda's legs, attacking the two guards farthest from the invaders, while pikachu started shocking the last guard. The rest of the group attacked right away. The warrior and the death knight hacked away with little effect on the shadowformed priestess while a series of fireballs from the warlock and mage pounded away at her, along with an unrelenting barrage of arcane missiles and arrows. Even so, Giselda was tough enough to last; she easily beat back the melee fighters for a while, but when it became clear that she was on the losing side, the unexpected occurred. The orc transformed into a shivarra, a six-armed, purple-skinned, fanged demonic menace. She hissed evilly at the attackers before releasing her power and forcing the group to scatter! The attacks were now random and occurred whenever someone could get one in, rather than constantly.

"Stand back!" Gary suddenly said, rushing toward the demon. The others stood well clear, knowing that whatever he was about to do was not something they would want to get caught in. The mage stopped abruptly and raised a hand as a dragon's head made of nothing but fire materialized above him and let out a huge flame from its jaws before dissipating. The shivarra was greatly weakened but not destroyed; she attacked the mage and knocked him to the ground. A judgement spell hit the demon from behind, and she spun to attack the paladin, but this opened her up to an arcane blast from Zaraia. The guards were beginning to go down about this time, and the pokemon and Starwisp's owl joined in attacking Giselda. A drain soul spell from Jessie is what eventually took her down.

XXX

"You've slain the Crone? Wonderful! As promised, you shall be rewarded."

The group accepted their reward.

"Amazing, isn't it, how fast time goes by? Seems like it was morning just a while ago…" Gary mused.

"That's what happens when you're fighting for your life," Ash replied plainly, "I'm going to go ahead and go to the inn."

One by one, the others also retired for the night, except Gary and Misty. They remained outside, looking up at the strange, alien sky. The stars were glimmering brightly and the nether twisted in and out of sight amongst the clouds, with an occasional planet visible.

"It seems like only a few days ago we arrived in Azeroth, and yet, it feels like I've lived here all my life…" the paladin said quietly.

"I know exactly what you mean…" the mage replied. He glanced over at her, but she caught him looking at her, and he turned away. There was an awkward silence before Gary spoke. "Funny how we hadn't really met before this… I mean, we'd seen each other around, but we never spoke… But once we were here, we started getting to know each other…"

"I'm glad we did…"

"Yeah… I am too… You're a great person…"

"Thanks…" Misty hesitated. "You know, you're not too bad either, deep down… Even though you can be a jerk sometimes."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Yes."

"Heh… Thanks…" They both smiled slightly as they looked at one another for a moment, just a moment, before it felt too awkward and they both looked away, the merciful shadows of the night hiding the faint blush on both faces.


	22. Some Folks Never Learn

The Broken sighed. "Oh, this is so embarrassing… Sorry to trouble you lot again, but, surely you remember my son, Corki? You rescued him yesterday. Well, he's gotten into trouble again… He told me that he was going to investigate the Boulderfist menace for 'uncle' Mo'mor and ran off to the ogre mounds in the Halaani Basin, north of here. Do you think you could track him down again? I would be eternally grateful."

Gary just sighed, James put his hand on his face, but Misty accepted the mission, so off they went.

XXX

Corki could hear the group fighting their way in from the moment they set foot in the cave; they were rather loud, between the clashing of swords and the casting of spells. The tunnels were long and full of ogres; could the adventurers really reach the young Broken?

"There are so many of them!" Zaraia said.

"Just keep fighting!" Ash told her, "We can make it through!"

"We pulled it off in Stratholme," the death knight assured the others, with audible confidence, "we can do it again."

"Ash, Starwisp, remember what we did back in the Deadmines?" Gary asked as he held some ogres at bay with frost nova and dragon's breath.

"Suggestion noted and agreed with," Starwisp replied, "Ash, James, with me; we form a wall and push the ogres back."

The fighters fell into their formation quickly while Gary commanded his fellow casters. "Jessie, Zaraia! We're going to stand behind them and cast our spells around them or over them; the idea here is to create a wall of elemental fury that our enemies have to get through if they're going to attack the melee fighters, and then they have to get through the melee fighters if they want to stop the elemental attacks. Misty will stand behind and heal anyone and everyone as needed while the pokemon protect her from an attack from behind."

"Right," the warlock acknowledged the plan. She began casting a rain of fire spell while Gary alternated between blizzard and flamestrike, and Zaraia backed them up with well-placed arcane missiles. They pushed onward, forcing their way through the tunnels, fighting desperately against the massive numbers of ogres until they reached a caged Broken. They quickly disposed of the ogres that had been planning to eat the boy.

"Hey!" Corki exclaimed, recognizing Misty as the one who'd greeted him the last time he'd needed to be rescued, "You're that nice paladin who saved me! And your friends! Can you get me out of here again? You're gonna need to get the key; it's right up there!"

"You gotta stop getting' yourself into trouble, kid," Meowth said. James retrieved the key and unlocked the Broken child's cage.

"Now come on, we have to get out of here quickly; we hardly survived the fight on the way in," Starwisp urged. The group began to run toward the entrance, only to be blocked by about seven ogres. Gary cast frost nova on them to root them in place, before stepping away, casting dragon's breath on the way back. The warrior rushed forward and performed a whirlwind maneuver, a devastating spinning attack with both swords held rigidly out, cape swirling impressively around him.

"That's hilarious, awe-inspiring, and terrifying all at once," Gary muttered as he cast blizzard, "I'm not sure whether to laugh or whimper."

"That's so brave and heroic!" Zaraia exclaimed.

"You're biased. No matter, we can discuss this later; just focus on your spellcasting!"

Starwisp loaded multiple arrows onto her bow and fired them all at once. The ogres began to fall at this point, one by one, as the warlock and death knight joined the fray. Misty was struggling to keep up with the healing needs of her companions as they fought for their lives. The battle was not easy for any of them; they were nearly overwhelmed, but they managed to escape – barely. As soon as there was room, they mounted up and fled back to Telaar with Corki riding along on the back of Starwisp's nightsaber.

XXX

"Thanks for saving me again; I think I've learned my lesson this time."

"Good," Starwisp replied, "because we're not likely to save you again. Now tell your father what you told us – you're not going to run off again. Be a good boy, now."

"I will," the Broken said, as he ran off to find his father.

"Alright guys," Gary said, "we'll hang around for an hour, then I've got another mission for us – another being with a bounty on his head."

XXX

The sun had just set as the group finally arrived at their target – the Laughing Skull Ruins, where the ogre Zorbo resided. They tugged their reins and their mounts came to a halt. Starwisp began casting her eyes of the beast spell, going into a trance as her eyes and the eyes of her owl began to glow green. The bird took off and soared high into the air as Starwisp took direct control of her pet's body and searched for Zorbo himself, and more importantly, the quickest path to follow to get to him. Aeroth landed silently on the branch of a tree, peering into a cave. There he was, the two-headed red ogre wielding a totem pole as a weapon. He had only one guard, just outside the cave, and there was an easily accessible path with only one or two ogres on it. This could be their easiest kill yet. The bird took flight again and soared back to the adventurers before the eyes of the owl and the elf both returned to normal.

"Follow me. This could be an easy kill; the path is relatively clear but we have to move quickly," Starwisp said, as Aeroth attempted to land on her outstretched hand gracefully and silently. He missed and instead flopped onto the ground at Ash's feet. "Stupid bird…"

"Like pet, like owner," Zaraia quipped.

"Now is _not_ the time!" the warrior said, irritated. He hated how the elves were constantly fighting. Weren't elves supposed to be _superior _– more accepting, wiser, more _mature?_ Ash decided not to dwell on that thought.

"Come on," Gary said, leading the way forward, mostly just to get the group moving – as soon as he could he let Starwisp take the reins so to speak, as he didn't know where he was going. The elf was correct – there were only a handful of guards, easily dealt with, and Zorbo himself was no match for the seven heroes, though he would have been quite imposing in a one-on-one fight. For the group, however, it was an easy kill and easy gold – a refreshing change from the norm. They were out as quickly as they were in, riding south once more.

"There's no way we're going to make it back to Telaar today," Gary pointed out, "so we should just stop for the night in Halaa. Sound good?"

"Yeah, I don't think I could stay awake long enough to guide the horse back to Telaar," Ash said. The warlock gave her answer by way of a simple yawn, the paladin by a nod, and the others by a murmur of agreement.


	23. A Heroic Sacrifice

It was the daily morning routine for the heroes: get up, have breakfast, mount up, set out on another quest to slay monsters and rescue the helpless. By now, they only dimly remembered that this had not always been their daily routine. Kanto was only a distant memory, fuzzy and unreal. The adventurers talked idly about their new lives as they rode over great wooden bridges spanning impressive canyons, rode along paths etched into the surreal and beautiful landscape, as the clouds above in the purple sky reflected the light of the newly risen sun. The trip was a smooth one, save for a few windrocs that had to be chased off. At last, they arrived in Telaar.

Corki's father came over to the adventurers hastily. "So sorry to bother you again, but my son is in need of rescue again…"

"I thought the little twerp said he'd learned his lesson?" Jessie replied.

"He had; this time it was no fault of his own – he was kidnapped by the ogres of Warmaul!"

"Kidnapped?" Zaraia asked.

"I sent him to fetch some water, but he did not return. I have received a letter from the Warmaul in badly-written common stating that if we don't pay up, they'll eat him, but we can't pay them – we simply don't _have_ the money!

Admittedly, Corki is a moron, but I love him still – he is my child! Please, will you kind adventurers rescue him once more?" the Broken begged, attempting to not look or sound _too_ concerned.

"We should help him," Misty said, "it wasn't his fault this time!"

Starwisp nodded.

XXX

The group managed to fight their way into the camp, up to the cave, with some trouble, but not enough to worry them. They did not realize what a terrible mistake that was.

"Here we go…" Ash muttered, as he entered the caves.

An ogre in crude plate armor charged immediately, throwing the warrior against a wall with strength like the group had never before experienced. Ash forced himself back to his feet, wincing. Zaraia was casting arcane missiles immediately. James had to rush into combat to keep the mage from killing herself by drawing too much attention. Someone strong had to look more imposing than the little elf, and the death knight subconsciously remembered her telling him how much he reminded her of her father – it was his _duty_ to protect the girl. He hacked away with his runeblade, ice swirling around him as he cast his frost spells. The fire mage and warlock backed him up with flames while Starwisp fired many arrows quickly. The pokemon were quick to enter combat alongside their masters, though the owl required a reminder, as usual. Meowth sabotaged the ogre's footing in every way he could – messing with the armor around its ankles, hacking at its feet with his shortsword, even placing objects where he thought it would step – giving the group a slight advantage. The ogre eventually went down, but the single fight had taken a lot out of the group.

"This was a bad idea," Gary muttered, while conjuring food and water for the exhausted group, "we should turn back…"

"We can't turn back," the paladin protested, "we can't just leave him here, and besides, the path we cleared on the way up this hill won't be safe anymore – the ogres will be patrolling, without a doubt! It'll be just as dangerous to turn back as to go forward, and we certainly can't stay in one place; we have to keep moving, so it may as well be forward!"

The mage gave her a worried look, but decided to trust her. "Alright, if you say so…" Even so, his gut feeling was that this would end badly.

After a moment, they continued on, barely able to fight through the tunnels – the ogres were unlike anything they'd ever fought before; very powerful and fierce. In the chaos of battle, they failed to notice the split halfway through the tunnel – a side passage leading into the main hall. They passed it and found an area where there was a bit of an opening. Misty collapsed to the ground, leaning against the wall. She hadn't had to do this much healing since Stratholme – it was a wonder Ash was still alive after the beating he'd taken, and they were only a little more than halfway through the cave! How much farther would they have to go?

"We'll wait here for a few minutes," Gary said, "while we allow our mana levels to catch up – I think everyone here who uses mana is pretty much out of it at the moment. Just be ready to get up and start fighting again immediately if you have to."

They all renewed their beneficial spells on one another and continued on, at one point getting tangled up with not one, but _two_ ogres – it was a good thing Gary remembered how to polymorph, or they would have been done for. At last, they reached the end of the cave. An ogre was stirring various foul things into a cauldron while a caged Corki looked on with the eyes of one who has seen Death himself.

"Maybe," the ogre chef said, "if your daddy pay Warmaul, we not eat you. Haha, me just kidding! Us eat you anyway! Haha!"

"Disgusting creatures," Misty muttered.

The fire mage said nothing at all; he merely started casting a pyroblast, while his arcane ally joined him with an arcane barrage. Jessie cast shadowbolts repeatedly, while her succubus lashed at the ogre with her whip. James and Ash worked together to keep the casters safe – they had to hold the ogre back, they could not back down. It pushed Misty's paladin abilities to the limit. Zaraia cast a spell on her that made her healing spells seem to work much more efficiently, and amplified all magic effects on the two melee fighters. Were it not for this, the fight would have been too much for the single healer in the group, and even with this aid, she was struggling. When at last the ogre chef fell, Starwisp took the key from the body and unlocked Corki's cage.

"Hurry, we must flee quickly!" the night elf urged, and the group began to run. Their earlier mistake cost them – the ogres cut them off at the split in the caverns. Not one, not two, but _four_ ogres. The group fought as hard as they could, but they were losing the battle quickly. A sense of impending doom washed over all of them. Was this the end? Suddenly, Gary ran out from where he had been casting.

"_Run! Get out of here! I'll keep them busy; __run!_"

"But what about you!" the paladin asked, shocked.

"Don't worry about me, _just run!_" the mage yelled, as he began to repeatedly cast arcane explosion with absolutely _no_ attempts to manage his mana supply, "What are you waiting for? _**Get out of here, **__**now!**_"

The others obeyed his command, turning and running.

As the group ran for their lives, Ash turned to Misty. "How does he plan on getting out of _this_ one?"

The paladin glanced over her shoulder. "Somehow, I don't think he _has_ a plan!"

There was a cry from behind them. They skidded to a halt; the others stopped for a moment too as they all turned. The mage was lying perfectly still, face down on the ground, while angry ogres headed toward the group.


	24. Redemption

The warrior suddenly _ran back in,_ swords out and ready for action, cape whipping about wildly as he charged.

"_Ash! What are you doing, you crazy idiot!_" Starwisp yelled furiously.

"We have to help him! _I'm not going to leave anyone behind!_"

"He's right!" Misty said, as she, too, charged, the wings and crown of light showing up again. The others had no choice but to follow at this point. Zaraia showed what she knew, casting frost nova and blinking out of the way before channeling a blizzard spell. The paladin backed away quickly, alternating between healing the group members and attacking, using the judgement of wisdom to maintain her mana level. The pokemon and owl viciously attacked the ogres with all their might. Jessie cast every damage over time spell she knew and then moved on to a rain of fire. There were great blasts of purple light as Zaraia unleashed arcane fury with a strength she'd never known she had. Ash's swords were a blur as he fought in the middle of all of this, lights of all colors flashing around him as the spellcasters maximized their full potential. Golden paladin spells, purple and blue mage spells, the icy white of a death knight's frost attacks, the blazing orange of warlock's fire! Starwisp was firing arrows at double her usual speed, usually multiple projectiles at once. One of the ogres fell and James reanimated it to fight by his side until it collapsed. The death knight's runeblade was glowing vividly as he fought with agility and strength he hadn't used since Stratholme. Ice swirled around him just as flames swirled around the warlock.

The noise attracted the attention of more ogres, but that didn't slow the adventurers down. Here and there, lightning flashed as Pikachu aided its master. Powerful jets of water revealed the vaporeon's true power. Arcane magic energized the air as Zaraia kept up remarkably well – evocation, mana gems, and potions fueled her mana supply. The warlock fueled her own powers with her usual method, even using her imp as a sort of mana battery. The ground around her even cracked open at some points, fire leaping forth. The warrior was right in the center of all of this, fighting for his life with power he never could have even _imagined_. Everyone did everything they could to amplify the effects of Misty's healing spells on him, and it was still _barely_ enough. A second ogre fell. The group was slowly wearing down as casters began to run out of ways to replenish mana and damage was outdoing healing, but even so, they were winning! The warrior used his whirlwind ability again. Another ogre went down. The group picked up the pace and it became clear they were winning as more and more of their foes fell. The last of the ogres was struck down by a well placed blow from Ash's swords.

The group rushed back to the fallen mage. Misty knelt down and turned him onto his back, then checked for a pulse.

"He's still alive, if barely!" She was nearly out of mana, but cast a minor healing spell on him, just enough to keep him alive. She and Starwisp were able to carry him out to a place where they could summon their mounts. Corki hopped onto the night elf's cat. The paladin's charger was a large, powerful horse, so the unconscious mage was placed on its back and the group took off as quickly as they could, fleeing back to Telaar.

XXX

Gary's eyes fluttered open slowly. He blinked a few times, dimly aware of the others around him.

"Wha…" His vision lightened and cleared, until he recognized the faces of his friends. "You… you saved my life…"

"Of course we did!" the warrior said.

"… What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourselves killed… And then I… I would have died for nothing…"

"You mean you intended –" Ash began, then stopped. He blinked a few times in surprise.

"You were going to give your life for us?" the paladin asked.

"Of course… That was a suicide attack… or, I intended it to be… Until Ash and co. decided to be the big damn heroes…" the mage muttered, weakly sitting up, "and… I… I thank you for that…" He smiled at his friends.

"And here I thought you were just rushing into action without thinking… You're brave, twerp," Jessie commented.

"I knew _exactly_ what I was doing," Gary said, "and I also knew Misty wouldn't have been able to come back and resurrect me, had it gone according to plan. But it didn't, and I'm glad for that."

The adventurers nodded and smiled. They were _all _glad.

XXX

The sun was setting on Nagrand. The group intended to move on the next day, and it was their final night in Telaar. The mage had received several healing spells throughout the day and was nearly back to normal. He stood at the edge of the plateau the city was built on, leaning lightly on the rail. Misty walked over next to him.

"Gary…"

"Yes?"

"What you did today…" the paladin began, then stopped, at a loss for words. After a long pause, she started a new sentence. "Azeroth has changed you so much… You're hardly who you used to be, and… in a good way."

"Azeroth has changed all of us more than you realize," Gary replied, looking calmly into her eyes.

"Well… What you did today… That was… the sweetest, bravest, most heroic thing…" Misty trailed off. There was a moment's pause as she gathered her courage, and kissed his cheek. The mage blinked in surprise and blushed as the paladin turned and walked away.

"_Whoa_… Didn't see _that_ comin'…" he muttered, after recovering from the shock of it.


	25. Blade's Edge

"Whoa," the warrior muttered as the group entered Sylvanaar. Elegant wooden buildings with curving tops and the signature extending swirls of the backbones of the blue roofs elegantly protruding from the buildings made up a very natural looking town in this small forested area.

Starwisp smiled. "This reminds me of Darnassus."

"It's so… _primitive_…" Zaraia muttered.

Ash sighed in exasperation. "Zara, will you _please_ stop being so prejudiced against night elves?"

"Of course she won't," Starwisp replied in disgust, "she sees all kaldorei culture through green glasses so to speak… Oh wait, that's just her eyes glowing green from _fel magic __addiction_."

"I'm not addicted to fel magic! The sunwell was restored quite some time ago! Oh, but you're too _ignorant_ to realize that!"

"Both of you, _**shut up!**_" Ash ordered, suddenly taking charge, "I can't stand it when you two fight!"

"Somehow, I don't think racial hatred is the _only _reason they're fighting," Gary said. Zaraia blushed, but Starwisp only raised one eyebrow in confusion. The fire mage quickly fixed his previous statement. "Or at least, _one_ of them sees the fight as being over something _else_."

Zaraia just yelled at him in Thalassian, and he stopped talking but it didn't wipe the huge smirk off his face.

James sighed in irritation and spoke up. His echoing voice of undeath still unnerved the group somewhat and gave him more of a tone of authority than he would have had otherwise. "Can we all just stop fighting amongst ourselves and get a quest? I would like to spend my time _training_; with each passing day our foes – namely the Lich King – grow stronger, and if we spend our time just fooling around, we'll never be powerful enough to take them down."

"Right," Gary agreed.

"I don't really care, as long as there's gold in it for me," Jessie stated. The entire group gave her a nasty look. "What? I want to beat the Lich King too, of course! But a little cash along the way can't hurt, am I right?"

"At any rate," the fire mage said, "we should stop yapping and start looking for a task."

"Looking for a job then, are ye?" a male dwarf asked, "I'm Commander Stonewall. Pleased to see newcomers. If ye'r looking for work, there are reports coming in that for some reason the Bloodmaul ogres are planning an offensive against Sylvanaar and Ruuan Weald. We don't know who or what is pushing them to do this, but I intend to nip their plan in the bud! Bloodmaul Camp is where the attacks are to be staged from. Head northwest past the Circle of Blood and ye will find it. I want ye to kill their leader, Dorgok! I will pay ye well for yer efforts."

XXX

The group rode along through great canyons. The sky itself seemed to be on fire, with clouds of burning red and orange visible just over the spike-covered walls of the massive ravines, though straight above one could see the nether twisting in and out of view amongst semi-visible stars and planets, with the sun burning bright in the sky, blazing mercilessly down on the travelers. The sheer scale of the alien canyons was almost surreal. The horses – undead, demonic, holy, and otherwise – tiger, and hawkstrider plodded onward through the heat.

"Holy-…! Look at that!" Gary said, pointing up at one of the canyon walls. As they rode along, the others looked up. Four massive black dragons were impaled on the stone spikes.

"Whoa…" Ash muttered, "that's something you don't see every day."

"No kidding…" the warlock agreed. Suddenly the animals stopped.

"What's dat?" Meowth exclaimed, pointing at something and nearly falling off Jessie's felsteed from leaning too far forward.

"Raptor," Zaraia muttered. A raptor indeed; it was black as night with spikes along its back, fangs that protruded over its lower jaw, razor sharp sickle claws, and glowing yellow eyes. It hissed at them. "Dismount, prepare for battle!"

The others got off their mounts and unsheathed their weapons or prepared their spells. The raptor circled. It hissed again, then charged. The warrior was the first to attack, stabbing the side of its chest with a sword. The beast roared and ripped itself off the blade, stepping back. It paced around, wagging its tail slowly, stiffly from side to side. Thick drool dripped from its hungry maw. A shadowbolt hit it from the side as arcane missiles began to strike it, followed by a fireball. The raptor turned toward the warlock and lunged. It was not expecting a curse of agony. It shrieked and tried to attack its tormenter, but a whip wrapped around its neck as Jessie finished her demonic summon, calling Brylith to her aid. The succubus yanked the dinosaur to the side, distracting it long enough for James' runeblade to sink into its flank with an icy chill, freezing the flesh around the wound. The glowing yellow eyes widened in pain and the hungry beast turned to attack him, but the warrior slashed at its side repeatedly. An arrow struck the creature in the side of the head. The raptor realized the attack was a mistake, but it was too late. An arcane blast dealt the killing blow and the dinosaur toppled over.

"With that out of the way," the fire mage said, "let us continue."

XXX

The paladin sighed. "Finally! This canyon is huge!" Misty collapsed against a vertical rock.

Gary conjured some cold water and offered it to the paladin, looking somewhat concerned. She accepted it.

"Thank you…"

"No problem. You're okay, right?"

"Of course."

"You sure do worry about her a lot," Ash pointed out, a smug grin on his face.

"Of course I worry about her. She's a teammate."

"Ah, I don't think that's the _only_ reason you're always concerned about her."

Gary just sighed and raised a hand. The next thing Ash knew, he was a sheep. The mage burst out laughing. "You guys have _no idea_ how long I've wanted to do that!"

"Gary, turn him back," Misty said, "as amusing as I find that, we need him in his human form."

"It'll wear off in about forty seconds…"

As soon as the sheep turned back into Ash, he muttered "I hate you, Gary. I hate you."

The fire mage just laughed. "Alright guys, let's do this. Standard raiding procedure." The group found an opening in the high palisade walls of the ogre town, then fought their way through the ogres, cutting a path into the village, until they reached a tower. The top section was accessible through a stone ramp around the edge of the crude building. The adventurers hurried up the ramp and found themselves looking at a blue two-headed ogre wrapped in what looked almost like a crimson toga. The warrior and death knight rushed in to distract it while the mage fired up a pyroblast. A paladin's judgement struck the ogre, followed by an arcane barrage and shadowbolt. A series of arrows followed. The ogre put up a fight but went down quickly. As he died, he dropped a small statuette of a monster.

Misty knelt down and picked it up. "What's this?"

"It looks like a gronn. Whatever it's for, it can't be good," Starwisp said, "Let's take it back to town with us."


	26. To Catch a Gronn

"A gronn statuette…" the dwarf muttered, examining the object, "this does not bode well… Looks like Gorgrom the Dragon Eater… He must be in charge of the ogres that have been attacking lately… We need to put a stop to this."

"How do you suggest we do that?" the warlock asked.

"Why, we're gonna trap 'im of course! We're gonna need crust burster venom – the blood elf lass, the death knight, and the warrior lad can get that – and ogre totems – warlock, night elf, and paladin lass can gather those – and last but not least, we're gonna need the main trap mechanic. I know just the man to get us one. You, mage lad, are gonna go talk to that mysterious Baron Sablemane – he'll know how to make a dragonfire trap."

"Dragonfire?" Starwisp asked, "How does he get hold of that sort of thing? It's not easy to come by."

"I don't know, lass. He's a strange one, that Sablemane…"

XXX

"Why'd I get sent off on my own?" Gary muttered as his horse plodded along through Blade's Edge, "I'm the weakest member of the group – physically at least – and they send me off all by myself… Ah well, I'd do a better job of taking care of myself than Ash would… Though he is more durable… I guess they sent me because I won't need to do much fighting – I hope…"

At that point the mage realized he was talking to himself out loud and decided to avoid potential embarrassment; he said not another word for the rest of the journey. Luckily he managed to avoid being attacked by hungry raptors, though they did trail him like vultures. It was very unnerving at first.

Finally the young mage reached Sablemane himself. "Excuse me, sir… Are you Baron Sablemane?"

"Yes, I am. I do not remember sending for you. This had better be important, mage."

"I'm Gary. I was sent here to see about getting your help building a trap for a gronn. We need a dragonfire trap – my friends are getting some totems and crust burster venom, so I'll need the rest… I was told you could help me?"

"I have the dragonflame and I'd gladly give it for that cause, but if you want a trap mechanism, you're going to need to talk to Samia Inkling. You can find her in Ruuan Weald to the northeast. Now, shoo! I have things to attend to!"

"Alright, alright…"

XXX

"Alright," the dark haired, dark skinned woman said, "I'll help you, but first you'll need to help me…"

_Of course,_ Gary thought, _I had a feeling this would happen…_ He nodded. "Alright. What do you want?"

"Some cultists have been enslaving black dragon hatchlings and training them as savage hunting animals. You're going to help me capture some. First, you're going to need to acquire some nets from the wyrmcultists nearby."

XXX

The horse burst out of the cave at top speed, its rider clutching a sack of squirming black dragonlings as the cultists chased after him. He glanced over his shoulder and the expression of fear changed to a self-satisfied smirk as he saw that he'd gained a great deal of distance. The cultists on foot were not able to keep up with a galloping horse.

"Heh, catch ya' later, losers!" the mage taunted. His black stallion continued galloping through the Raven's Wood, toward the second cave. Gary heard giant wings flapping above him, stopped, and looked up. He gasped quietly as a giant black creature – at first it looked like a colossal raven – flew overhead. The dragon didn't seem to notice the human teenager below it. After a moment, the mage looked over his shoulder as he heard a cultist yell. The wyrmcultists were still chasing him. He tugged the horse's reins and it continued to gallop. Here came the second cave, full of dragoncultists. He turned his horse to the side and it ran along the raised ledge on the inside of the cavern. The cultists noticed and yelled but they had to find a place to climb up in order to chase him. Only a few cultists were actually on the ledge, and the nimble horse managed to trample or leap over these, galloping through the tunnel as the cultists followed in hot pursuit!

He flew out of the cave at top speed, onto the great stone bridge. The spikes of the canyon below rose up past the edges of the giant rock, creating huge spiky structures at the ends of the bridge. The mage blinked a few times – it was bright out; he hadn't been able to see the full light of the fiery sky in the shady forest or dark tunnels. He turned and glanced over his shoulder again, keeping a tight grip on the whelp bag. The cultists had given up. He slowed his mount to a walk and reentered Ruuan Weald.

"Good, you've kept your end of the deal?" Samia asked. Gary merely opened the sack and showed her the squirming, growling whelps. "Splendid! Such fine whelps!"

"Alright. Your end of the deal?"

"Right away."

"Oh," Gary added, "while I was in there I found this…" He showed her a note. Samia took it and read it, her expression changing several times as she did.

"It's a meeting note…" She turned back to Gary. "You're a fine, skilled young mage. I am glad you brought this to me. As I promised, here is the trap you requested. Would you kindly return tomorrow to continue aiding me?"

"Sure! I'll tell the others-"

"No, no, that's fine, Gary! You needn't trouble your friends… Come back tomorrow – _without them._" The mage was suspicious of her behavior and apparently she picked that up. "Oh, no, don't worry, it's nothing sinister… It's just that some people are… _prejudiced…_ Very many are untrusting and spread malicious lies about my… family."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Well… alright…"

"Thanks you! You're a very kind young boy," Inkling said, with a warm smile.

"…Thanks…" the mage replied, riding away slowly, wondering if he'd gotten himself into something he really didn't want to be a part of. No, it couldn't be that bad – Samia seemed like a nice enough person.


	27. Hero of the Blackflight

The group fought their way down the cliff, along a series of ramps, into the ogre town. There were many spikes protruding from the ground and buildings, most of them with reptilian skulls impaled on them. The ogres wore black scaly skins and necklaces of bone. They put up quite a fight but the adventurers pushed onward, forcing the ogres back until they fell. Not to be stopped, the travelers pressed on to the great stone table. Next to the table was a structure of four stones: three for a frame and a fourth for a back, so that it resembled a macabre cabinet. Inside was the rotting body of a young dragon, hanging by chains wrapped around its throat and tail. The wing membranes were ripped out and the skin burnt to an ashen grey. The body had several spears, swords, and other weapons lodged in it. Apparently it had been a ritual sacrifice that the ogres had not yet cleaned up. Next to that there was a gong.

Ash and Zaraia set the trap, while the others set the totems up nearby so that the image of a dead gronn and bloodied ogre totems would get a clear message across to the Boulder'mok ogres. James used his runeblade to give the gong a sharp smack, resulting in an unnatural ringing as the distorted gong shook from the violent impact. Moments later, Gorgrom the Dragon-Eater appeared, snarling and drooling. He was enormous, a one-eyed monstrosity with spikes sticking out of his shoulders. When he saw no offering, but_ intruders_ at his altar, he roared and charged! The group scattered and the massive gronn's elephant-like foot was caught in the trap. The dragonflames leapt up. Gorgrom roared as he began to catch fire. He was in such a rage that he chased after the scattered adventurers, even with one foot caught in something resembling a bear trap. The humans and elves desperately tried to find places to hide even as the dying gronn trashed everything around him. A massive fist the size of a car slammed down on the crude statue that Misty was hiding behind. The paladin dove out and hid behind another object, cowering, a protective bubble of light forming around her. A frostbolt hit Gorgrom and the gronn turned to attack the young mage. The gronn growled in frustration as the mage blinked to safety.

"Over here, ya big loser!" he taunted. Gorgrom spun around to face him, but at this point the dragonfire and crust burster venom were too much and the gronn collapsed.

"Let's get out of here!" Ash said, summoning his horse already. The victorious adventurers rode back up to town, except Gary.

"Aren't you coming?" Misty asked.

"No, I… have some things to attend to."

"Alright… see you back in Sylvanaar."

The mage summoned his stallion and rode off toward Ruuan Weald. _Is this a good idea?_ he wondered, _Should I really be keeping this secret from my friends? Maybe I just shouldn't go back. This is kinda freaking me out… But I told her I'd come back today… Oh well…_

XXX

"Hello Samia…"

"Gary! You're back, good!"

"Alright, what do you have for me to do today?"

"I want you to assassinate the current leader of the wyrmcult – Draaca Longtail!"

_Well, it can't be that bad,_ Gary assured himself, _the wyrmcult does seem evil._ "Alright. She has it coming to her, after having her minions enslave those poor dragonlings."

"So you have no prejudice against the blackflight?"

"Why would I?" the mage asked, beginning to feel suspicious and uncomfortable. _I don't like where this is going… Do I really want to be involved in this? I have a feeling things aren't quite as I think they are…_

"Oh, it- it's nothing," Inkling told him, "people just… well, may I speak to you away from the others?" The strange woman glanced shiftily at the druids a little distance away. Gary warily agreed and followed her to where they could not be seen or heard. The mage felt fear and doubt beginning to surface in his heart. "There is something you must know, and you must keep it secret," Samia told him.

"Alright…" Gary muttered, mentally preparing a fireblast spell, just in case. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next. The girl transformed into a young drake, scales black as night.

"This is why I've been so shifty – some people… _distrust_ the blackflight, and I must keep not only my identity secret, but my motives. You seem trusting enough of black dragons and willing to aid us. Now, these fears are not unfounded, since Neltharion – also called Deathwing – our aspect, is completely out of his mind, and very much a menace to all living things. Most black dragons follow in his footsteps, but not us – we are in a rebellion. The blackflight of outland has all but thrown off the oppressive chains of Neltharion's rule, but the mortal races still fear us," the dragoness explained.

"If you're so harmless, why did you try to keep this secret?"

"Because, I was afraid that I could not tell you the whole story yet, because I did not know if you were to be trusted. Further, I did not want you telling your friends who may know better about the blackflight, for fear that they would convince you to stop helping me before you knew the whole story."

The mage sighed in relief. Nothing sinister, just a fear of misunderstandings. That certainly felt better! "Alright, thanks."

"So you will aid the Onyx Revolution?"

"Of course."

Samia returned to her human form and led the way back to the village. "Alright, follow the bridge up to the first cultist cave and Longtail should be there somewhere – she is a dark skinned draenei with white hair in a pair of ponytails."

XXX

The cultists were shocked to see the young mage on his black horse riding into their cave once more. They'd grown to fear him since his dragon-stealing raid. He cast spells from atop his horse but was not good at steering and casting at the same time, so he leapt down and dismissed the mount. The cultists tried to attack him but he was too quick, holding them back with frost novas and other such spells. Fiery death met the cultists who did not flee. Unfortunately, Gary had taken the lower path, and failed to watch the upper one. He felt a sudden, dull pain in his back and slumped to the floor, dazed. He blinked and shook his head, turning. Draaca stood over him, holding a pair of nasty maces.

"So here is the raider? Who knew he would be so easy to defeat."

"I won't fall that easily, Longtail…" Gary said, forcing himself to his feet, glaring right into the draenei's eyes. The cultists gathered to watch as their leader and the mage circled around each other. Draaca lunged; the mage blinked past her and hit her with a fireball from behind. She tried to spin around and attack him, but a frost nova locked her in place. Gary backed away and cast a fireball at her. She snarled and jerked about, trying to free her feet from the ice. Finally the ice shattered and she tackled the boy.

"Powerful for one so foolish and young. I will teach you true power, and you will learn not to interfere! If you survive, that is!" the draenei growled, bringing her mace into his side. He winced and it took everything he had not to collapse in pain. He countered with a dragon's breath spell. The look on Longtail's face when she saw the fiery head of a dragon appear and open its jaws was memorable at the least.

"Not so… tough now… are you… Draaca…?" the injured mage managed to say, through his pain. Clutching his wounded side, he pulled a healing potion out of the plane of storage and drank it. Longtail recovered from the shock of being burnt alive by an incorporeal dragon and managed to keep standing. She and Gary circled again. She attempted to attack, but he was too fast and she only grazed his shoulder, doing no real damage. A blast wave threw her against a wall, and a fireball finished her off. The cultists either fled in terror or tried to attack the mage, but he had already summoned his horse and rode straight through them, back to Inkling.

XXX

"I have one more task for you, Gary. I need you to spy on the cultists. Kill Overseer Nuuar and break this enchanted idol. It will release the spell I've bound within and cast an illusion on you. Pose as the Overseer and find out their plans. Will you do this?"

"Of course."

Samia slipped the idol into the mage's hand. "Go quickly now, and return when the deed is done."

XXX

Having hidden the body of the Overseer and cast the illusion, the young mage was able to slip into the cultist base unnoticed. It was somewhat surreal; while he felt not different and could see his own hand when he looked at it, for instance, he also could see a semi-transparent draenei body around his own, like an incorporeal costume. Apparently this was all the cultists could see, for they reacted as though he were the Overseer. He made his way back to Kolphis Darkscale, the orc in charge of the place.

"Nuuar, good, you are here! … Are you ill? You do not seem quite… yourself…"

"It's nothing. Just a minor sickness."

"Alright… Well, let us get down to business."

"Of course."

"We have much to discuss. Most notably, the boy who's been interfering with our plans – he's killed our officers and stolen dragonlings before we could cast our spells on them. Do you understand what this means? It means they'll remember us and fight back far in the future! And we all know how much harder it is to enslave grown dragons! The older they get, the more resistant to _conversion_ they are! Why, that drake we've been trying to convert for the last three days, he's still fighting back!"

"Forgive me; this illness has gone to my head. What drake?"

"The one up north, don't you remember?" Kolphis asked, sounding somewhat suspicious.

"Oh, yes. How could I forget? _That _drake," Gary replied. _I hope I'm a good actor,_ the mage thought, _or things could go __very__ wrong._

"But the boy, Nuuar. The boy. You will deal with him, yes?"

"Of course! The wyrmcult will prevail. The mage will be dealt with."

"And ensure that he doesn't interfere with the taming of the drake. We'll need it for the raid on Ruuan Weald and Sylvanaar."

"It will be done."

"Good. Go now, get to your duties. And may that sickness clear up."

XXX

As soon as he dropped the disguise, Gary summoned his horse and rode due north. He had to find that drake! A short ride through the Raven's Wood later, he found the clearing where four wyrmcultists were channeling dark magic into a struggling black drake. The drake was chained down by its legs, tail, wings, and neck, so that it could still stand but not move around much. Even so it struggled violently, thrashing about and breathing the occasional spurt of fire. Every now and then it stopped to pant and recover before violently trying to escape again, straining the massive chains that bound it.

Gary dismounted and dismissed the horse, before silently slinking through the underbrush. He crept closer and closer to the struggling drake. It was quite noisy and violent, snarling and growling. He parted the branches of a bush he was hiding in and peered out, formulating a plan. He _had _to free that dragon!

The mage suddenly broke cover, casting living bomb on each of the cultists before blinking past the dragon. He ran, leaping over a fallen log and hiding behind a bush, seeming to dissapear. The wyrmcultists followed him, but when they were where he wanted them, Gary stepped out of his hiding place and cast frost nova. He then began to cast a flamestrike. The dragon had paused its struggling to watch out of the corner of its eye. Fire leapt up from the ground where the flamestrike was targeted. The frostnova broke and the cultists came at the mage, but he cast dragon's breath and again blinked away, just in time, as the living bomb spell went off. Four fiery blasts in one area instantly killed the cultists.

Gary went over to the drake, somewhat fearfully. "Hey there, I'm here to help…"

"You're a brave mage," the drake said. Gary unlocked the chains that bound the creature. "Thank you."

"Is it true you've been fighting here for three days?"

"Yes, and you freed me in less than three minutes. I'm not sure whether to be embarrassed or impressed."

"Well, I had the element of surprise, and I wasn't locked up in chains."

The drake smiled. "What's your name, human? I'm Kai."

"Pleased to meet you, Kai. I'm Gary."

"Well, Gary, I owe you one. Take this. The Orb of the Blackwhelp. It's an ancient artifact. There are many of them, but they're rarely given to your kind." A trail of black smoke solidified into an orb slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball, on a golden chain.

"What does it do?"

"You can use it to call me, if you need me. I'm not sure if it will have any other effects on your kind, though… I'm still a young dragon, and I don't know all the secrets of my kind."

"Thanks, Kai!"

"Least I could do. You saved my life," Kai said, sitting and tapping his tail against the ground.

It suddenly dawned on the mage that there were two types of black dragon. "Hey, are you a member of the Onyx Revolution, by any chance?"

"Of course. If I wasn't, you wouldn't be alive, unless I was going to use you to manipulate the governments of alliance nations, and you don't look like you're very high-ranking."

The mage laughed. "Well, I should get going now. If I need you, I'll call you. Hurry, get out of here before the cultists find you! Good luck, Kai!"

"I am in your debt, Gary. Good luck!" the dragon said, spreading his wings and taking flight.


	28. Internal Chaos

"You _**what?**_" Starwisp shrieked, just as Gary had finished explaining the long story behind the Orb of the Blackwhelp.

"I know, I know, but-"

"_Have you any idea what you've done, Gary?_" the night elf interrupted, in a furious rage. She was practically foaming at the mouth! "_The blackflight is __evil__!_"

"They're not evil!" the mage insisted, also somewhat angry, "These dragons are rebels!"

"I don't like where dis is going…" Meowth muttered, hiding behind Jessie.

"Rebels? Oh? _Have you anything to go on but their words?_"

"Well-"

"_They lied to you so they could get you to do their bidding!_ Don't you see, Gary? Don't you _understand?_ All black dragons are evil, regardless of what they say! _They're manipulating you!_"

"_Oh, they are, are they?_" Gary yelled, now also furious, "Then explain those two dragons we saw fighting in Zangarmarsh! Explain why none of their attacks have been directed at us! Explain why they _all tell me the same story_! Surely if they were lying, one of them would slip up and give an inconsistent story, right? But, _no!_ You're too afraid of the _evil_ black dragons to give them a chance! You know something, Starwisp? You're an arrogant racist! First Zaraia because she's a blood elf, now the black dragons because of what they are!"

"Oh, and I don't see you calling Zaraia out on her treatment of me! She's started half the fights! _You're_ the one discriminating here!"

"Don't try to avoid the point!"

The fight was escalating quickly, and the others weren't really sure what to do. They'd had quite a lot of fights, but nothing like this.

"Avoid the point? _You're the one who brought this topic up in the first place!_"

"_Shut up!_ The point here is, _you're too afraid to give the dragons a chance!_"

"I'm not _afraid _to give them a chance, I just _know better!_ I'm not a _naïve fool_ like you are, Gary! The black dragons are evil, they _always have been!_ They're manipulative, cunning liars who will stop at nothing to use people like you for their own gain!"

"_That_ image is exactly why these dragons are rebelling!"

"_Where's your __proof__, boy?_"

"_In their actions!_"

"They're acting! Foolish boy, the blackflight is known for elaborate deceptions! It's how they get people to do their bidding! This 'Onyx Revolution' is a big hoax designed to fool stupid mortals like yourself!"

"_I'm__ stupid? __You're__ the one who can't believe anything new!_ Just because it isn't the way it 'always has been', you think it's a fraud, a lie! _Things __change__, Starwisp!_ I don't think you realize this, but _the world doesn't stay the same way forever!_ You stupid night elves and your attempts to cling to the past…"

"_You're one to be talking! You're only fourteen years old and from another world! I'm over three hundred; who do you think knows this world better?_"

"Your long life is what's clouding your vision! If you were truly wise you'd realize that!"

"_**Both of you, **__**shut up**__**!**_" Misty suddenly screamed. Both combatants froze and looked at her. "You're both being so _stupid!_" She threw her hands up in the air and stormed away. Gary looked particularly guilty, but Starwisp also realized how foolish they'd both been. Neither of them looked at one another or spoke a word. The adventurers dispersed; everyone went their own way, seeking to recover from the emotional strain of the group's internal strife.

XXX

_Nice job, Gary, you loser,_ the mage thought as he slipped into the woods alone, _now see where this has gotten you. Starwisp hates you, and Misty thinks you're an idiot. And what if she's right? What if I am just a hotheaded idiot?_

He sat down on a log and put his face in his hands. _What if the black dragons really are evil? What if I really was just a gullible fool… a __tool__… _He sighed. _I don't know what I'm doing… I can't do this… And this is all my fault… I'm the reason we're all shattered right now… I knew I shouldn't have gone back to help Samia… Now we're all fighting amongst ourselves… And Misty… She thinks I'm stupid… I made such a __fool__ of myself, right in front of her…_ He lifted his head, a troubled frown on his face. _But I can't just sit around freaking out about this… Ugh… How am I going to fix this? I need to get a hold of myself._

"Gary…?"

"… Misty…" The mage didn't turn or even glance at the paladin.

"Sorry I yelled… I had to stop you two…"

"Don't be sorry… That was my fault…"

"It was her fault as well…"

"No… If I hadn't helped the dragons… J-just… Misty… I just need some time by myself, okay…? Time to think… To figure out how to fix this mess…"

There was silence for a moment. "Alright…"

XXX

"Just wait for her to calm down, Ash…" Zaraia said, somewhat disdainfully, "She's a night elf, she's just slow like that. She needs more time to calm down than we do and-"

"_No, Zaraia,_" the warrior said, "I'm sick of the insults! I'm sick of you and her fighting! I'm sick of _all _the fighting! If you're just going to insult her, I _don't want to hear what you have to say._"

The blood elf looked at the ground. "… Sorry…"

"It's okay…" Ash sat down and leaned against a tree with a tired sigh.

The elven mage sat down next to him. "But, I really do think you should just wait for her to calm down… She's still mad about the fight… Go back to her later…"

"She's so stubborn… Quick to anger and slow to cool down… Sometimes I worry that this sort of thing… will destroy the group… We can't afford that…"

"We can't afford a lot of the things that happen in life…" Zaraia muttered.

"Yeah… You of all people would know…"

The elf silently nodded and leaned against the warrior's shoulder, startling him a bit. He turned and looked at her in surprise. Zaraia blushed faintly and inched away, embarrassed. Ash laughed a bit and smiled slightly.

"We'll pull through," he said.

XXX

The night elf cried silently. _He's right… I can't just keep hanging onto the past… Time passes… Things change in three hundred years… What if the dragons really are rebelling against Neltharion? I really do need to open my mind up…I've been harsh… _ The tears were done. Starwisp lifted the hand with the non-bladed glove and wiped the tears from her purple cheeks. She remained still, her arms folded over her knees, looking up at the tree tops where light filtered in through the leaves, the blazing sky of Blade's Edge lighting the forest with unique beauty. _I should apologize…_


	29. Not Happening!

_Maybe I should discuss this with Kai himself…_ Gary thought, looking at the Orb of the Blackwhelp thoughtfully. He froze, stared blankly into space, and twitched ever so slightly when he suddenly realized he had no idea how to actually use it. _Damn! How the hell do I use this thing, anyhow?_

The mage tried _everything_. Willing the stupid bauble to work. Twirling it on the chain around his finger. Throwing it against the ground. Igniting it. Poking it. Slamming it against a tree trunk (though that was more just a vent for his frustration than an attempt to get it to do something). _Everything_. He poked it a few times, glaring at it in frustration before putting the chain around his neck and tugging absentmindedly at the orb itself while trying to come up with a solution. Unfortunately for him, this had a very _undesirable_ effect. He felt _different_. He looked at his hand – rather than a hand, it was now scaly and black and something akin to a paw or claw. His heart sank as he turned his head. Tiny wings, a pudgy tail… _Oh god,_ he thought, as realization dawned on him. He'd done _something_ to activate the orb, and it had turned him into – unsurprisingly – a _blackwhelp_, complete with inky scales, an orange belly, wings not even large enough to help him jump, let alone fly, tiny horns, large green eyes, and a tuft of spikes on his head resembling his human hairstyle. He sat up and looked down at his chest. The orb was still around his neck.

"Gary, I came to apologi- _By Elune!_" Starwisp exclaimed, instantly realizing what had happened.

XXX

The newly transformed whelpling hung limply from Starwisp's arms like a kitten, in complete and utter shock as the night elf explained that somehow, the orb had turned him from a human into a dragon. She eventually set him on the ground.

In shame, Gary curled into a ball, trying to hide behind his pathetically tiny wings, but it only served to make him more hilariously endearing.

"Oh my god, he's so _cute!_" Misty exclaimed, momentarily forgetting who it was – or perhaps not quite grasping that concept in the first place. She picked him up and he went totally limp. _This is not happening,_ the mage thought, _This is not happening…_

Ash, for one, was fairly disturbed by this. "Uh, Misty, just keep in mind that no matter how adorable the baby dragon is, he's actually Gary…"

The paladin stared into space and silently put the whelpling on the ground again.

"On a serious note," James said, "How are we going to _turn him back_? He's of no use to us as a whelp."

Ash knew the situation was serious, but he _couldn't resist_ the opportunity to make a clever jab at Gary. "He wasn't very useful in his human form either!"

The mage tried to respond but it came out as a little growl-squeak, prompting him to look absolutely mortified. _Why did I have to be turned into a whelpling? Why not a proper dragon – something with big wings and claws and fangs, something that could fly and breathe fire and terrorize Ash?_

"Ash!" Misty scolded the warrior for him.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist."

Jessie, who'd remained silent for the whole conversation, suddenly burst into hysterical laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

_Oh god, this is so embarrassing…_ The blackwhelp did his best to hide under the branches of a bush, his large, sparkling green eyes peering out from inside.

"Well," the night elf said, "I know of a druid encampment called Ruuan Weald – our unfortunate mage mentioned it earlier – as shapeshifters, they should be able to fix this if anyone can."

XXX

The druid the group ended up talking to was named Rocman. He was a muscular tauren with tan fur and long, black horns. His mane was beginning to turn gray, but it was still very dark and he wore it in long braids, as he did with his beard. He had a ring in his nose and wore a brown and gold robe decorated with bones, beads, and feathers, but on his chest was a faded, bloodstained horde tabard, nearly tearing itself apart under the weight of all the badges, medals, and ribbons the grizzled, scarred old war veteran wore. He had large spaulders with spikes and fur and overall he looked both intimidating and wise.

The group spilled the entire story to him, and at first he did not seem to react. After it was finished, he turned and looked at Samia, who was somewhat nearby.

"Is this true, Samia?"

The disguised dragon cringed and meekly whimpered a confirmation.

"Hmmm… Let me see the amulet…" Starwisp took the Orb of the Blackwhelp from Gary and showed it to Rocman. After a moment's examination, the druid laughed. "I've seen similar things before! You've nothing to worry about! The enchantment will wear off in an hour or two!"

Gary promptly disappeared into the forest and did not return for several hours.

XXX

When the mage returned, in his normal form, he glared around at everyone in the area. "_None_ of you… shall _ever_… speak a _word_… of what happened here… _Ever!_" There was then dead silence.

After a while, Rocman explained what had happened. "Enchantments like that are put in place to discourage thieves. But apparently your dragon failed to tell you how to use it. As such you used the same general methods of a thief, and triggered the defense enchantment."

"So…" Gary muttered, "How do I actually use the stupid thing…?"

"Samia…" Rocman prompted, as the disguised dragoness came over.

"Well, what you do is, you… it's hard to explain to a human. You… You know how you can lift your hand by willing it to work? Because it's part of you? Accept the Orb as part of you and think into it, and it should be no different from raising your hand up. Will it to contact the dragon that gave it to you in the same manner you will your hand to lift."

"Alright then, let's give this a go…" the mage muttered.


	30. Northrend

After checking the story of the Onyx Revolution with Samia, Sablemane, and Kai, and finding the story consistent, the group concluded that there was truth to the tale.

"_The black dragons of Azeroth are likely to still be allied with Neltharion, but his supporters have largely been driven out of Outland. This land is ours now. Your help has been invaluable to all of us,_" the drake said, through the Orb of the Blackwhelp.

"No problem. Hey, Kai. We could use an ally like you…" the mage began.

Starwisp put her hand on her face. "Oh, Elune… Here he goes again…"

Ignoring her, Gary continued. "Would you like to come with us to Northrend? I know it has nothing to do with your goal, but you'd be repaying the favor."

There was a long pause. "It would be an honor."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Gary," the night elf said, venom in her voice, "If this goes wrong, you will be to blame and-"

"No need for threats, Starwisp!" Ash interrupted, trying to avoid another fight, "I'm sure this will turn out fine – the dragons seem to be honest enough."

The huntress only muttered unintelligibly under her breath.

XXX

"Well here we are, back in Theramore," the mage said, after everyone had gone through the portal. Kai had shapeshifted into a medium-dark-skinned boy with long black hair and silver eyes, wearing a simple black leather shirt, matching pants, and boots that came up to his knees. His human form looked about eighteen, so presumably that was his equivalent age. He looked about curiously, not used to being in human towns.

Two boats later, the group was headed to Northrend.

XXX

James was the first off the boat. He looked to the northwest in a determined manner. _It ends here, Arthas; your days are numbered. We're coming for you._

"Reinforcements! Finally! And you, for kids, look like you could take care of yourself _much_ better than these green scrubs Fordragon left here."

Gary threw his hands up in the air in an exaggerated motion of relief and joy. "Hallelujah! Finally, someone judges us by our location and gear instead of our age! You, sir, deserve a promotion!"

The dwarf laughed. "Anyway, lad, you and your friends had best report to Vice Admiral Keller."

"Right."

They were not so lucky with the response of the Vice Admiral. "These are the reinforcements? _Kids?_"

Gary put a hand up by his face as though to hide his words from the man as he muttered something sideways to Misty. "The dwarf really should be ordering this guy around and not vice versa."

"True," she muttered back, "so true."

"At any rate," Keller said, "if you want to prove you're worth something, you'll help defend this settlement. If Valgarde falls, our entire expedition into Northrend will simply cease to exist."

James immediately seemed interested in what had to be done. "What will you have us do?"

"Hold the invaders back. They've launched a constant attack on the northern pass. We've not had a chance to put up a gate and there's just an opening in the wall there. We have archers and warriors keeping the attackers from getting through, but they need help. If you can hold the attackers at bay, our men will have a chance to fortify our defenses."

"Right away!"

The adventurers went to the opening and found that it was indeed under a relentless assault by wolves and giant, Viking-type men.

"What are those?" the paladin asked.

"Vrykul," the death knight replied flatly, "not undead, but Scourge nonetheless. Kill them. _No mercy._" And with that, James charged, runeblade glowing as the familiar icy wind picked up around him. The warlock was the first to join him, with a rain of fireballs. The others quickly joined in the attack. The town's defenders were able to stop fighting and split into two groups – one to stand atop the walls and fire at the invaders from above, one to finish the nearly-constructed wooden gate and haul it into place while the heroes kept the invaders from interfering.

The gate itself was up, and defenders worked as quickly as they could to rig the mechanics and secure the great door so that it would not fall. The process was long and tiring, lasting about half an hour – the adventurers lasted only because they didn't have to kill their opponents – merely stall. Thus, they could manage their mana and resources. The mages didn't waste time casting anything but frost spells that could hold the enemies back, the huntress spent her time trapping her foes, the paladin healed her friends only when they absolutely needed it, the warrior focused on defense, and so on. When at last the gate was in place, it was opened for the first time and the heroes came back into the safety of the settlement, while archers picked off the vrykul and wolves that had followed them in. The gate slammed down into the ground behind them, firmly locking the invaders out.

The group spent some time recovering, but they were soon in action again.

"Well done, kids! Well done indeed! I have another task for you, since you performed the first so admirably.

We were here for several weeks before those giants started showing up. We… were not prepared… to say the least. We lost a team of archaeologists, and to make matters worse, when we sent a team of scouts to rescue them, they too were taken and impaled with harpoons and left to die. I want you to free as many as you can; I doubt they will survive but it's worth a shot. If you don't think they'll make it, put them out of their misery."

The reactions of the group varied. Some, James in particular, seemed practically emotionless – this was just another task. Others, like Misty and Zaraia, went a bit pale at the brutality of the vrykul and the gruesomeness of their task. Even so, none of them questioned it.

They left the town, feeling both sick and duty-bound. The attacks had slowed considerably now that the vrykul knew Valgarde was fortified. The travelers crossed a river and it was not long before they found the first victim, a human woman, pinned to a tree by a spear lodged through her gut. James ripped the weapon out of her and she let out a piercing shriek as she collapsed to the ground. She was bleeding more horribly than before, already pale from blood loss, exposure to the elements, and malnourishment. She struggled to speak.

"They… left us here… as… a warning… Some… still live… in… the fortre-" She had died before she could finish her sentence. Every face in the group was pale and horrified.

The next scout they attempted to rescue was a dwarf, and he managed to get a few yards back toward the town before collapsing. "Thank ye… kids… But me injuries… I… won't last… Don't let me death go unavenged… Give 'em hell… for me…"

And so it went on. Of sixteen people rescued, only four made it back to the settlement, and two of those died there.

The draenei woman who cared for the injured reported that the two survivors kept muttering about a castle, a ritual, and a sacrifice. Once again, the heroes were called upon to work their miracles. This time they were sent into the vrykul town to free the prisoners that were not yet inside the catacombs. The strategy they decided upon was just an all-out attack – come out of nowhere and beat the giants senseless. With the element of surprise on their side, they were quite successful.

The vrykul guarding the first cage kept watch, but failed to notice the adventurers lurking in the forest. The fireball hit him, and the warrior charged. The giant was down very quickly, and the first prisoner freed.

XXX

"You youngsters never cease to amaze me!"

"Thanks," Kai said, speaking up for the first time since the departure from Theramore. He then went back to his usual perfect silence. Jessie jumped; she'd forgotten the dragon-boy was present. Then again, he was easy to forget – very quiet, and not very helpful in combat, at least not when he had to keep to his human form.

"Anyway, the prisoners you rescued have given us a lot of valuable information. I've got one more task for you before I send you off to another Alliance stronghold."

"And that is?" Starwisp prompted.

"These 'Dragonflayer' vrykul," Keller began – Kai flinched at the word 'Dragonflayer' – gesturing toward the vrykul town, "are led, at least in this area, by a mystic called Yanis, who is himself the underling of someone called Ingvar. Yanis, who resides in a small cave by the wolf pit, apparently has the Dragonflayer battle plans. Steal them, and kill any vrykul who get in your way!"

XXX

The adventurers stood by the newly-slain vrykul, alert and ready for more action. Even so, the number of wolves in the wolf pit before them was enough to make even them have second thoughts. They needed a plan.

"Hurry!" Zaraia urged in a half-whisper, "The protodragon rider is coming! We need to move quickly!"

"There are too many wolves," Starwisp protested.

"_It's wolves or a dragon!_"

"Right." The night elf nodded and aimed an arrow at one of the wolves, and let it go, intending to pick the dogs off one by one. It didn't work. The animal barked and the other wolves snarled and growled as they too noticed the intruders. "Uh oh!"

"There!" the warlock said, pointing to the wooden panels (resembling palisade fences) that rested against the walls of the pit.

"What?" Kai asked, not seeing her plan.

"One of those panels is loose. Come on!" Jessie darted for it – she didn't really have a choice, and neither did the others, who followed her. The panel was indeed loose, just far enough away from the wall that there was a person-sized opening, too small for a vrykul or wolf.

Hiding in this small cave between earth and wood, the group tried to figure out how to get out of this mess. Hearts were pounding and minds racing. Wolves jammed their snouts into the space, but the panels were secure enough that they couldn't do much more than snarl and drool, and give an occasional glare by removing their jaws and turning their head to peer in at the would-be prey. Zaraia hid behind Ash, though it wouldn't do her any good. Gary and Misty stood very close together, in an effort to comfort each other and themselves.

Kai seemed very frustrated. "I could return to my true form and just fry them all, but I don't have any room! If I go out there, I'll be torn apart before I get a chance." If he'd had room, he would have been pacing agitatedly.

"We need to think of something fast," the death knight said, "it's only a matter of time before they shred the panels and kill us all."

Suddenly Starwisp snapped her fingers as an idea hit her. "I'll distract them; run for the cave and I'll catch up!"

"What are you going to do?" Gary asked, having a flashback to the events in Nagrand.

The night elf's eyes were already glowing green, as were her owl's. Aeroth, possessed once more, took flight, zipping out of the group's hiding place, _over_ the heads of the wolves, and began to swoop and dive, taunting the canines and leading them to the other side of the pit.

"Now!" the warrior ordered, and the group made a beeline for Yanis' cave. The vrykul turned just in time to block Ash's swords with his arm. He picked up the young warrior by the neck and threw him against a wall. Pikachu reacted instantly, shocking the giant.

Zaraia cried out first in alarm, then in rage. She unleashed an arcane barrage: a series of gigantic arcane missiles, blue, purple, and pink, that seemed to be almost on fire. Yanis lunged at her, but she blinked away and cast arcane blast, followed by weaker missiles. Her fellow mage joined in with a pyroblast and a frostfire bolt. The warlock cast shadowbolts at the vrykul, while the paladin went to heal the warrior and help him to his feet.

James found himself dangling from the huge viking's grip. He just grinned coldly. Suddenly Yanis dropped the death knight and clutched at his throat, as though being strangled. James just chuckled darkly and pointed his runeblade at the vrykul, causing a powerful blast of icy wind to slice and sting at the giant's body. Yanis gasped for air as the strangulate spell wore off and he forced himself to his feet. Another fireball hit him from behind. As he turned to attack the mage, an arrow struck him in the chest. Starwisp was standing at the entrance to the cave, lit from behind by the newly-risen moon, another arrow ready for firing, pointed directly at the mystic! He began to charge at the night elf, but Gary was quick to cast frost nova, locking him in place. Another arrow struck him, this time in the face. He collapsed, finally slain.

"Here are the battle plans," Ash said, taking said plans and motioning for the group to get out of the cave as quickly as possible.

XXX

"Outstanding! By the looks of things, there are many more vrykul villages in the fjord. A different tribe of vrykul is preparing an assault on Westguard Keep. Hell, for all I know it may already be too late. We haven't heard from Westguard in days. Either way, we must alert Westguard!"

"Right," Starwisp agreed.

"I must thank you kids for everything you've done. Without you this settlement probably wouldn't have lasted long. But thanks to you, we stand a fighting chance. Now we have a fortified town, and know our enemies. We can defend ourselves now. And now, it's time for you to try to do the same to Westguard. Follow the path along the cliff face north, then head west. When you reach the burning forest, take a right. A left at the next fork in the road should take you to the keep."

"Well," Gary said, "I hope one of you guys has better memory than me, cuz there's no way I'm gonna be able to remember that."

XXX

About halfway to Westguard, the group was simply too tired to continue. They set up camp a little ways off the road, in a clearing in the forest, next to a river with a small, peaceful-sounding waterfall. Kai turned back into a dragon and stretched his massive wings to their full span for a moment before curling up with a sigh.

"I hate being a human. I don't understand how you can stand it."

"Frankly," Starwisp said, "I don't know how they can stand it either!"

Everyone had a good laugh. There was a silence before the paladin commented on how cold it was. She went a little ways away and took her armor off, leaving only the tunic, shirt, pants, and socks she had on under it. She would normally sleep in her armor while camping like this, in case they were attacked during the night, but it was simply _too cold_ for metal armor. When she returned to the group, she found that Ash had followed her example (James had not – being dead already, he didn't really care about the cold, since it was all the same to him. He had no body heat, after all).

After a few more minutes, everyone settled down. Gary was sitting on a log by the riverside, leaning against a rock that jutted up behind it at enough of an angle that one could comfortably fall asleep there. It only got colder in the night, and he was glad he'd enchanted his cape so that it could stretch out far enough to wrap around him like a blanket.

Misty wandered down to the river to get a drink – though it was mostly because she couldn't sleep. The mage apparently noticed her shivering.

"Hey…" He held out his cloak invitingly. The paladin blushed and looked away for a moment before going over and sitting next to him – not quite touching, but close enough. He wrapped his cape around both of them, putting his arm around her shoulders in the process. For a few minutes, it felt very awkward, but they got used to it. Misty moved closer to him, and he put his other hand on her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder. She was surprisingly relaxed – she felt safe and secure in his arms, and quickly fell asleep. Gary watched the auroras for a while. The mage eventually yawned and then he, too, fell into a deep sleep.


	31. The Grey Protodragoness of the North

Just before noon the next day, they arrived in Westguard Keep. The group entered the fortress and made their way to the meeting chamber. A dwarf and two humans stood around a table, discussing something.

"Reporting for duty from Valgarde," James announced.

The dwarf had to do a double take when he saw the age of the new reinforcements, but decided not to question them. "Good, so Valgarde still stands, eh? Well, it's a good thing you're here, because we might not be so lucky. Gjalerbron to the north poses a direct threat to us – we need someone to deal with those vrykul creatures."

"Right. What'll you have us do?"

"I want ye to kill as many of them as ye can, of course!"

"And," the human priest added, "free their prisoners! The scouts have concluded that they're using humans, elves, what-have-you, for sacrifices to fuel some sort of awakening ritual. Light knows the last thing we need is for them to wake their dormant brothers."

XXX

The adventurers fought their way into Gjalerbron, killing any vrykul they saw. Many of them had keys with them, but it took a while for the group to find the cages they went to. Every time they saw a cage, they tried every key they had while the prisoners looked out at them hopefully. It was heart-wrenching when they didn't have the keys to certain cages – they had to leave while the poor victims screamed and cried and called out, pleading them to help, but there was nothing they could do. Certain cages unlocked with no trouble, only causing those still locked up to realize the hopelessness of their situations. Some of the vrykul had heard the prisoners begging piteously, and came to see what was going on. They saw the heroes from the ledges above and sounded the alarm.

"Oh crap," Ash muttered, unlocking a cage. His hand was shaking as he rushed to free the prisoner, and the key got stuck. "_Damn!_" He violently shook the cage door, until finally the key jiggled enough and the gate opened. "Hurry up, we can't stay any longer; we've got to get out of here!" he called to the others.

"Just this one cage!" Misty called. The others looked around to see where she was and noticed a cage much larger than the others. The paladin was struggling with the lock.

"Get over here!" Starwisp cried out, "They're almost here!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open. Several prisoners rushed out. A spear flew past the group and narrowly missed the warlock.

"Run!" Kai yelled, "I'll hold them off!" The boy turned back into a drake and snarled viciously. The vrykul attacked him with spears, and he was forced backwards as the group escaped. He breathed fire at his foes, trying to buy as much time as he could, before finally jumping into the air and flying over their heads, before backflipping and spinning midway through the flip to turn around, zigzagging to avoid throwing spears as he escaped. As he did so, something cried out, a haunting, echoing roar-shriek.

"What was that?" Gary asked, continuing to run. Kai dove down after a moment and landed by them, turning back to his human form as the group began to slow down.

"I've never heard anything like _that_ before… If it's a dragon, it's not a normal one…"

XXX

The next day, after relaxing for a few hours – they needed a break – the group walked across Westguard, from the inn to the fortress, to see what needed to be done. The three men didn't notice them come in. The dwarf was standing up on a chair so he could lean forward and point to part of a map.

"You see, not only are they in league with the Scourge… _they __have__ Scourge._"

"How were these not reported before?" the priest inquired.

"Apparently," the mage replied, "their necromancers were operating underground – literally! But after the kids raided Gjalerbron yesterday, they surfaced and are now – as the gnomes would say – _kicking into high gear_. Gargoyles, wights, and other monstrosities are showing up now; they _must_ be stopped before they raise an entire army!"

"We can do something about that," Misty offered. The men looked up, only just now noticing the adventurers' presence.

XXX

Two gargoyles perched motionlessly on the edge of a ridge. Suddenly an arrow, glowing with arcane energy, struck one of them and killed it. It slumped forward and fell off the ledge. The second gargoyle's head snapped around to see what had happened to its ally. It didn't even get to cry out when a dagger – proportionately more like an arming sword to the cat pokemon that wielded it – stabbed it through the back. It, too, slumped and fell from its perch. Meowth leaned out over the edge of the ridge, his brand new forest green cloak dangling loosely around his neck.

"All clear!"

The group hurried past the fallen gargoyles and up the ramp nearby, weapons at the ready. Another gargoyle shrieked and divebombed the paladin, but she blocked it with her shield. An exorcism spell was all it took to bring down the undead beast.

"How are gargoyles undead anyway? They don't look very undead and I've certainly never seen a living one flying around…"

"Have you ever seen a living nerubian?" Starwisp replied.

"Well, no but-"

"There's your answer – all the living ones are gone or hiding. Because you have no point of reference you wouldn't know whether they look dead or not; perhaps living gargoyles are much fleshier."

"Can we please stop discussing what-ifs," Gary said, shooting one of the undead beasts out of the sky with a frostfire bolt, "and focus on the task at hand?"

So the group fought on, with gargoyles dropping like flies near them, and the occasional wight falling to their combined efforts. At last, they came to the necromancer overlord, Mezhen, and his three students.

"So, what's the plan, twerp?" Jessie asked, waiting for Gary's word on the strategy. The mage thought for a moment.

"There are three lesser necromancers… I'll polymorph the one on the left. Pikachu and Aeroth will attack the center one, and the remaining pokemon will attack the one on the right. The rest of us will just focus on their leader."

There was a moment of preparation, and then they attacked. Pikachu continually shocked the cultist while being protected by the great owl. Vaporeon and absol worked with Meowth to keep the other cultist busy.

Fireballs, arcane missiles, and shadowbolts beat at Mezhen as the necromancer tried to fight back against the death knight and warrior. Kai remained in human form, doing the best he could with a pair of knives – switching back and forth between forms cost a great deal of mana, which didn't regenerate as quickly for him as it did for true humans, elves, and the like.

The polymorph spell wore off and the necromancer-in-training tried to attack the paladin as she stood back and healed her allies.

"Absol, protect Misty!" the mage ordered. The dark pokemon changed targets without skipping a beat, knocking his new opponent to the floor and clamping his jaws down on the cultist's neck. The unexpected occurred when Mezhen cast an evil spell, mutating the former student into a ghoul to continue fighting.

"Handle the overlord, twerp; I'll deal with the ghoul," the death knight stated, suddenly changing targets and trying to aid the pokemon in holding back the undead monster. Things went from bad to worse when the other two cultists fell and were raised into undeath as well.

"Okay," the paladin muttered, "if that's the way you want to do this…" She drove her sword into a gap in the stones paving the platform, and once again, light poured out from between the cracks, causing the ghouls to panic and burn. They gurgled and moaned as they tried to escape, but in vain. With the ghouls out of the way, the group could focus all their power on the master necromancer. Mezhen put up a good fight, but eventually he went down.

"Hey, what's this?" Kai said, picking up a piece of parchment that had gone unnoticed before the fight, or perhaps had fallen from Mezhen's grip. He unfolded it and read it. "Plans… We should show this to Captain Adams."

XXX

The captain and lieutenants grew pale upon reading the plans. "An attack on the keep, with a _giant_ protodragon of some sort? We can't let this come to pass – if that dragon gets here, there's no hope…"

Kai folded his arms over his chest and had to consciously stop himself from snorting indignantly.

"You were wise to bring this to us," the priest stated.

"Ye've shown yerselves to be skilled in combat. It may be a bit much to ask of ye, but I haven't a choice: will ye return to Gjalerbron and kill their dragon?"

"Of course," James answered, "the creature is a menace to the whole Northrend expedition."

XXX

The group fought their way into Gjalerbron once again. The great mountain, Gjalerhorn, that rose sharply out of the ground just north of the vrykul village, loomed imposingly above them.

"We have to get way up there?" Starwisp said, her heart sinking.

"No problem," Kai replied, smirking. He turned into a drake once more. "I can carry three or four of you up there at a time. I'll scout first, to see if I can find the cave."

So he took off, and flew around until he found a ledge with a cave. The ledge was too narrow for him to land on and he didn't want to enter the cave, in case the protodragoness really was inside. However, he did find a suitable landing spot further along the ledge. Kai turned and flew back to his friends, before carrying them up to the ledge. After everyone was present, it was determined that someone should inch out along the narrow ridge and take a look inside the cave, just to verify what Kai could not. If the dragoness was inside, they'd be in a good position to plan an attack. If not, they were closer to her actual location.

"I'll go check it out," Gary offered. He worked his way along the thin ridge, until he could peer around the corner and into the cavern. He immediately whipped back around, face pale with shock, and hurried back to the group. "Guys… You're not going to believe this, but that's no dragon… It's an aerodactyl – _and undead too, by the looks of it!_"


	32. A New Threat

"Of course," the warrior muttered, "Why would we have been the only ones from our world? Obviously we're not the only Lost… Just because we haven't met others doesn't mean they're not here."

"And obviously the Lich King would find us valuable," Gary added, "think about it: a pokemon trainer commands _very_ strong creatures, but doesn't know what to expect in this world. We have potential to be _extremely_ powerful in undeath – the people of Azeroth have no idea how to deal with pokemon – and yet we're easy prey."

"Or rather," Jessie corrected, "the _pokemon_ have the potential to be powerful in undeath – the trainer would be merely a tool to get to it, and once that's done, I'd bet the trainer would just be raised as a simple ghoul or something."

"Whatever; the point here is we're facing a totally new class of undead."

"_No, right __now__,_ the point is we have to kill that aerodactyl!" Misty pointed out. She unsheathed her sword and began inching along the ridge toward the cave.

"But we don't kno-" Ash protested.

Misty cut him off. "_Kill it. Show no mercy._"

"I knew you had a violent side, but I had no idea you were so downright _bloodthirsty_…"

"This isn't a thirst for blood, but justice. _All _Scourge must be _destroyed!_ Now, if you're willing to help me save this-"

"_**No!**__ Don't say those words!_" James practically hissed, grabbing the girl by the cape and yanking her back. He put his sword to her throat, the blue flames in his eyes leaping up in a rage. "Those were the words of Arthas before his first step on the road to evil; you've been showing a very disturbing trend of mirroring his fall. Do you want to be one of _them?_ Watch yourself; if I see you going any farther down that path, I will _slay you on the spot with no remorse!_"

The paladin froze. "Y-You wouldn't."

"I would."

Gary pushed the sword aside and stood protectively in front of Misty. "Then you'd better shape up your own behavior before you criticize hers! _You're _the one who's always all 'death to the scourge; show no mercy'! _You're _the one who's handing out _death threats!_ _You're_ the one whose _sole purpose of existence_ seems to be the destruction of the Scourge! _**You have no right to yell at her about this,**__ so leave her alone!_"

James' eyes first widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. "But I know the Scourge better than she does; I know how they work."

"_And yet you don't seek to make yourself different from them._"

"_**Shut up, twerp! **__You have no idea what you're talking about!_"

"James is right," Zaraia added, "Just because he's a death knight doesn't mean you can treat him like one of the Scourge!"

"It's not that he's a death knight, it's that he hasn't learned a thing!" Starwisp countered.

"_**All of you, shut up!**_" Ash commanded, whipping both swords out and pointing each of them at the main combatants, "_**We're all in this together against a common enemy – **__**none**__** of us are on their side! Now stop having a civil war like a bunch of six-year-olds and **__**stand together**__** like proper adventurers!**_"

Everyone silenced themselves in grudging agreement with the warrior. Even so, they continued to glare at one another.

The paladin was staring blankly into space, her spirit shattered. She sat down against the mountainside, eyes unfocused, face expressionless.

The fire mage knelt by her, worried. "Misty?"

She didn't reply. Gary looked over at the rest of the group. Zaraia also seemed to be pretty shaken by the whole thing, but not as badly as the paladin.

"Come on," the warrior said, not making eye contact with anyone, "we can leave her here while we deal with the aerodactyl. She's obviously not fit to fight at the moment."

"She's our only healer," Starwisp pointed out.

"We can get by with healing potions. Let her recover."

And so the group, without a healer of any sort, confronted the undead pokemon. It was _huge_, much bigger than the average protodrake, even larger than most aerodactyls. It was slightly larger than even Kai in his dragon form. But the horror of it! Empty eye sockets with glowing red lights, bits of missing flesh along the skull, shoulders, back, tail, and limbs, revealing rotted muscle and bone. When it saw them, it let out a piercing shriek, a mixture of a roar and the squeal of a racecar's tires, and deafeningly loud. The monster lunged, its giant jaws wide open, thick drool flying behind it. The unmistakable call of a ghoul sounded from nearby as Gary cast frost nova to lock the pokemon in place. Then the _real_ terror set in, as a perfectly normal ghoul came into view – perfectly normal save for the tattered remains of distinctly non-Azerothian clothing. The sight sent a chill down every spine in the group. Not all of the Lost who came to Azeroth would return.

"Don't hold back," Gary said, his voice commanding and confident, "there's no redeeming it; a ghoul is a ghoul! We can feel sad later, but now is no time!"

"Right." The death knight's runeblade glowed bright icy blue as he hacked the ghoul in half with a single swipe of his sword. He barely dodged in time as the aerodactyl's rotted jaws clamped shut with an audible snap mere inches away from him.

"Absol, attack!" Gary ordered, calling his pokemon out and preparing a pyroblast. The dark pokemon swiftly leapt up onto its foe's back and bit down like a bulldog – he wasn't about to let go.

The fireball hit the aerodactyl in the side, and it spun around to attack the mage. The warlock sent a chaos bolt – a blast of green felfire – at it from the other side. This time the monster swung its head around and successfully attacked – combining the powers of a living pokemon with the unholy magic of the Scourge, the aerodactyl's fangs grew longer and more jagged, covered in ice. The knife-like teeth sunk into the warlock's shoulders. She screamed in pain, and suddenly the pokemon echoed the scream. James had torn a wide gash into the right wing of the monster.

"It may be undead but it's still a flying type! Pikachu, try shocking it!" the warror ordered, still trying to find a good place to strike. His pokemon obeyed, electrocuting the fiend. It responded with a piercing cry and let out a blast of icy breath, freezing pikachu in place. Meowth sunk his claws into the rotted flesh of the creature's flank, trying to distract it. It merely reared up, flapping its powerful wings and arching its neck, sending both of the pokemon on its back crashing to the ground. It turned around, swinging its partially skeletal tail around and smacking its attackers as it went to finish off the two annoying beasts that had been tormenting it. Kai tried to slash the beast's flank with his claws but had trouble maneuvering around his smaller allies. Starwisp embedded several arrows in its shoulders while the mages continued to throw everything they had at it. The smaller pokemon darted between the talons of the horrific creature, and it spun around again. It lashed out with its wing-claws, leaving large, bleeding gashes on the shoulders of both mages. It then swung its tail, turning sideways so it could smack a boulder toward the warrior and death knight. James reacted quickly and shattered the rock with a sudden blast of ice.

"This thing just won't die!" Jessie exclaimed, shocked that the monster was still standing after all of this.

"Keep trying," Gary said, "it'll go down eventually!"

The warrior was able to get around to the side and slammed his blades down into the undead monster's neck. It roared and pulled away, leaving the swords stuck in it, and Ash unarmed.

It turned and stared at him for a moment with glowing red sockets before lunging. Zaraia darted over, grabbed the warrior by the wrist, and teleported them both away. The aerodactyl slammed its jaws into the ground. It looked around, confused and furious. Pikachu had finally recovered from the effects of the ice attack and tried shocking the monster again. The undead beast faltered and nearly collapsed, but rose again and continued its relentless attack.

"Die already!" the black dragon snarled, again managing to get around his allies and bite the aerodactyl's wing. The creature tried to free itself, tugging against the teeth of the drake, only damaging itself further. It opened its jaws and blasted its foe in the face with ice. Kai let out a shriek and reeled backwards, before replying with his own fiery breath. The aerodactyl crouched and growled, but _still_ stood, though barely. Ash was able to retrieve his swords, since the beast was distracted. An arcane blast hit it in the chest, and it backed away, snarling. Then it launched itself at the mage. She blinked out of the way. A pyroblast caused part of the monster's jaw to fall off. Starwisp loaded three arrows onto her bow and shot them at the aerodactyl's face. When it lunged at her, its remaining fangs growing and covering themselves in ice again, Ash saw his chance and drove his swords into the top of its skull. With a final cry, at last, the monster fell.

XXX

That night, there was much to be troubled about, for everyone. None of them, though, were so deep in despair as the young paladin. She'd all but given up entirely. She sat alone in the forest, too sad even to cry, her head hanging, shoulders slumped.

Gary watched her from a distance. It broke his heart to see her like that. After a while, he sighed and walked over.

"What do you want…?" Misty muttered, not lifting her head.

The mage didn't know what to say. He just knelt next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She pushed it off. "Please, don't be this way…" he whispered, "I can't stand seeing you this way…" The paladin didn't respond. "… You can talk to me… it's okay…"

Finally, she spoke up, her voice broken. "Why do you care…?"

The mage was taken aback. He didn't know how to reply. "I- … Why do- … Wha…?"

"You shouldn't care… I don't deserve your pity… I'm no better than Arthas… I'm a monster, just like him."

"That's not true. Don't pay attention to what James said; he's only worried about us. He's angry at the Scourge for what they did to him, and he doesn't want it to happen to us."

"But what he said about me repeating history… It's my fate to fall, just like Arthas did…" Tears were now streaming down the girl's cheeks.

"That's not true at all. The fact that you're doing things he once did doesn't mean anything, especially given the difference in contexts. James is just afraid for us all. You're not doomed to the same fate as the Lich King."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because… Because… You're _not_ that kind of person. You're better than that. I… I know you are… _I _believe in you. Remember, what I said to you back in Elwynn? You're a good person, and the fact that you're in despair, questioning yourself like this… that proves it."

Misty was silent. The mage hugged her and whispered "You're a good person. I _know_ you are…"

"… Thank you…"

XXX

On the other side of Westguard Keep, Zaraia was similarly upset and alone, though for different reasons. The fighting the group had had earlier not only worried her about the fate of her group, but reminded her of what had happened to her father, which had gotten her to thinking about everything she'd lost. She sat by herself on a rock, crying.

Ash, too, was troubled by the events of that day, and found himself wandering out to get a clear view of the moon, in hopes that he could think more clearly. He happened upon the sobbing elf, and sat next to her.

"Zaraia… please don't cry… We're all hurting right now…" He put a hand on her shoulder. She turned, looking at him through eyes glistening with tears. After a moment of eye contact, she simply threw her arms around him – much to his surprise – and buried her face in his chest, crying her heart out. The warrior awkwardly put his arms around her and patted her back comfortingly, not quite sure what was going on. "Come on, now! What's got you so upset?"

She didn't respond for several minutes – she was _unable_ to respond, through her crying fit. When she finally calmed down, she didn't raise her head, but simply answered the warrior. "I-I was reminded… of how much I've lost… And I-I worry, that I might… lose you too…"

"Uh… is that… me, or the group as a whole?"

Zaraia blushed and hesitated before replying. "Both…"

Both of them remained silent for a long time before Ash spoke up. "What do you mean, you're afraid you'll lose us?"

"The way we sometimes fight so much amongst ourselves… There's only so much a group can take before is tears itself apart forever… I'm afraid… that's what will happen… It seems like I lose everything – why would this be any different?"

"… It's okay, Zaraia… That's not going to happen… We're not going to leave you…" But as soon as he said it, Ash regretted it. Even though he tried to push it away, to avoid it, the truth lurked in the back of his mind: he would have to go back to Kanto eventually. As much as he missed his homeworld, he had friends in Azeroth. He didn't want to think about it.

"… Thank you, Ash… I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you…" the elf said, still pressed tightly up against him.


	33. Flight of the Gryphons

The group's gryphons from Westguard flew them swiftly north, to Wintergarde in Dragonblight. The adventurers had to squint at first – the morning light reflecting off the endless fields of pure white snow, with nothing breaking it save for the occasional mammoth or other such creature, or the shadow of a dragon's skeleton, was _blinding_. By the time they landed, though, they'd gotten used to it.

The gryphons swooped toward the Keep. It seemed to be part of a larger town, only everything on one side of a wall was destroyed, and everything on the other was heavily fortified. The place was built in tiers, with the bottom levels supporting housing and farms, as well as a few buildings more like the ones at the top, in the fortified section. A horrifying plague-citadel floated over the ruins of the town, and sickly orange blightmist spread out over some of the farms. The birds landed and the travelers sought out High Commander Halford Wyrmbane.

"Message for you, Sir. From Westguard in Howling Fjord," Ash stated, holding out a letter for the man.

"What's this you have here, boy?" Wyrmbane asked, reading the letter. His eyebrows rose, and then relaxed. "The traitors listed in this report; do you know where they are now?" The adventurers just shook their heads and looked at him blankly. He smiled grimly. "Take a look outside, by the gates to the lower town – they're the ones hanging from the arches. Ghoul bait…"

"… Right…" Gary said. He'd have to take a look at that gate more closely – while flying in he'd been looking at everything, and he didn't remember seeing any bodies on the arches. They could have just been obscured by the rest of the buildings, though.

"So, what will you have us do? We're here. We might as well help," Starwisp offered.

"Lord Fordragon has led a crushing assault against Arthas at the Wrathgate. In response to this affront, Arthas has sent Naxxramas – yes, that necropolis above us is the very one from the Plaguelands – down upon us. While Kel'Thuzad hides in the floating citadel, his ground commander, Thel'zan, lays siege to Wintergarde Keep. The lower village is already lost and any chance of extracting survivors from the ruins diminishes by the minute. You are to report to Gryphon Commander Urik at the gryphon station at once!"

"So the Commander sent you kids? Very well; hop on a gryph, each of you. You're gonna save those villagers!"

"So, we fly again…" Gary muttered, climbing onto one of the white, armored gryphons. The eight snowy birds took flight, soaring over the wall and down into hostile territory. The mage made sure to look at the arches: _no bodies_. But there was no time to worry about that. He scanned the ground below, and saw a gnome fleeing from a building, pursued by a strange undead creature with a rope on its neck. Once again displaying natural skill at flying a gryphon, Gary directed his mount down to the ground. It landed and ran alongside the villager.

"Jump on!"

He did, clambering onto the gryphon's back just as it took to the skies again. "Thank you! How can I ever repay you?"

"Don't mention it." The gryphon flew them both back to the Keep, let the villager down, and then turned back. Two more gryphons were returning.

Misty quickly got used to flying. She spotted a young high elven girl, only a little older than Zaraia, fleeing in terror from what appeared to be a small cyclops with a noose around its neck. She directed her bird smoothly toward the ground, though not with the same swiftness or skill as Gary, and held out her hand to the girl.

"Come with me!" The elf took her hand and climbed onto the gryphon behind her, and they rose up out of the ruins, leaving the geist gurgling furiously at its escaped prey.

"You are my guardian angel!" the lady exclaimed, "Like a white knight you flew in from the heavens and lifted me from the pit of damnation!"

"I'm a paladin; it's what I do."

James had a little more trouble getting the appreciation he deserved. Those he rescued almost always reacted with shock when they realized what had saved them; many of them thought it had been a trap, and he even had to convince a few not to fling themselves off the gryphon to their deaths! Upon landing though, they usually stammered out a thanks. As he returned to save more villagers, he muttered "Come _on_… where's my _respect?_"

And so it was. Eight snowy gryphons and skilled young riders, soaring in and out of the town, constantly, saving those within. They were treated as miracle workers and heroes.

XXX

"The townsfolk are all back to work? Already? Outstanding, soldier! We'll get this town built back up and fortified in no time. Before long, reinforcements will be ready to join the fight with Lord Fordragon at the Wrathgate!" Wyrmbane said, "I'm getting ahead of myself, of course, as there is much left to do here before we can even think about sending you to the aid of Bolvar."

"Oh?"

"You may want to split into two groups – there are many tasks to be done, in two places. It will be faster if there are two parties working in each, simultaneously, rather than handling one task at a time."

"We have only one healer, though," Zaraia pointed out.

"Then go argue amongst yourselves about who goes with whom. Come back when you've figured it out."

XXX

The group sat near the fireplace in the inn, warm for once.

"Well, since one group will need a healer, the other will need a strong protector – I'll go with whatever group Misty is _not_ in," Kai offered.

"A dragon protecting me? _Count me in!_" Jessie said.

"Well if the warlock is going with Kai, I'll go with Misty," Gary said, trying to be smooth and logical about it. Really it was just an excuse – either way, one group would end up with two casters.

"Haha, you'd go with her _anyway_," Ash teased.

"Well _duh. _She can_ heal me._"

"Oh, but I don't think that's the _only_ reason!" the warrior continued, with a wink. Gary just rolled his eyes and sighed. The paladin did her best to ignore the conversation, feeling awkward.

"Well if he's going with Misty, I'll go with Kai and Jessie," Zaraia offered, "After all, it'd do no good to have two mages in a group."

"_I'll go too!_" Ash added instantly, with unconcealed eagerness.

Gary returned the taunts. "And _you_ don't even _try_ to hide it…"

"Hide what?" the warrior replied, blushing slightly. The blood elf tried not to giggle.

"_Boys,_" Starwisp growled, in a warning tone, "_now is not the time…_"

"But it's so _blatantly obvious!_" the mage protested, grinning, "How can you expect me to _not_ tease him about it?"

"Yeah, like _you're_ subtle about-" Ash retorted sarcastically, but Starwisp cut him off.

"_**Boys!**_"

"Alright, alright…" Gary muttered, still smirking.

"**Well**," James said, trying to get the conversation back on topic, "Since there are four of you in that group then, it looks like Starwisp and I are going to go with Gary and Misty."

"Hey, what about me?" Meowth asked. The others had actually forgotten he was there.

"You come with us," James said.

"Okay," Jessie said, "So the groups are as follows: Kai, Twerp – err, Ash, Zaraia, and I. James, Misty, Gary, Starwisp, and Meowth. Sounds like a plan."


	34. Fear

"Alright then, so which of your groups has the healer? You're the paladin, are you not, young lady?" Halford Wyrmbane asked Misty.

"That's right."

"Then you are to go into the ruins and save those people who could not be rescued by air – those trapped inside buildings. Kill as many of the Scourge as you can on your way in and out."

"And for us?" Kai inquired.

"You are to speak to Siege Engineer Quarterflash. He recently requisitioned my group for a specialist that he could send on a reconnaissance mission to the Wintergarde Mine. To that end, I sent him Slinkin, my demolitionist. I foolishly thought that he could close off that pit of damnation after his mission for Quarterflash was complete, securing another victory for us against the Scourge. An entire day has now passed and Slinkin has not returned. I want answers! Speak with Siege Engineer Quarterflash and track down my missing agent!"

It was at this point that the two groups parted ways, reluctantly and somewhat sadly. They shook hands and wished one another luck, for they knew they might never see the other group again. James, Starwisp, Misty, and Gary, accompanied by Meowth, headed down into the shattered village, while the others went to speak with the gnome.

Upon mention of the name, Quarterflash said "I feel terrible about this, but I fear in my rush to recover that strange ore, I may have doomed Agent Slinkin. I don't know what happened to him. Perhaps you can find him? Head to the mine and begin your search."

XXX

Kai and Ash led the way silently into the mine. It was very quiet – far _too_ quiet. It's frightening enough to hear the gurgling and low snarling of ghouls, or the thumping of unknown feet, but by far the most terrifying noise is _no noise at all_. And such it was, they were greeted by only _dead_ silence. None of them dared to break it. Ash silently unsheathed his swords, and motioned for Zaraia and Jessie to follow, walking softly, weapons at the ready. Despite their efforts to muffle their footsteps, they echoed faintly. Every click of a stone against a pebble, every noise of the warrior's armor, was returned to them in otherwise perfect silence in the dreary cave. Further adding to this surreal feeling, almost all the lamps were still lit, hanging from the support beams. Darkness can be terrifying, but not so much as being able to see perfectly clearly, _but seeing nothing save stone and wood._ Every heart was beating double-time, every muscle tense. The group had faced monsters of all sorts, and gotten used to them, but what really scared them was the perfect _emptiness_ around them. Their breathing was quick and shallow, very quiet. Zaraia glanced around nervously as the adventurers passed down the abandoned halls, and put a hand on Ash's arm in a futile attempt to calm herself. He jumped, startled, and was visibly relieved to see it was just the elf. He glanced around warily, and they continued.

And then there was a sudden sound – a dry gasp, the rattling of bones and armor, the shuffling of feet. The group collectively gasped and jumped. A skeleton in the armor of a Wintergarde defender charged at them, and Ash instinctively lunged, though it would do no good against a skeleton. Zaraia didn't even shriek; the shock had caused her to freeze up for a moment before launching a series of arcane missiles. Kai was suddenly struck by pure horror as he realized the cavern was too small to allow him to turn into a dragon – the usefulness of having a draconic protector was effectively negated, leaving the group fairly weak and without a healer. Jessie cast a shadowbolt and it knocked the head off the skeleton. The pile of bones and armor collapsed. All of this had occurred in only a few seconds. And then it returned to dead silence, stillness, _emptiness_.

XXX

The death knight kicked a door open, runeblade at the ready. A woman was in the corner, clutching her child and pointing a hot stoker at a monster, holding it at bay. The geist – the one eyed, crouching monster with a noose tight around its throat – turned and hissed when the adventurers entered. It laughed maniacally and loped toward them on all fours. Starwisp tried to shoot it in the eye, but it was too quick and she missed. Gary cast a dragon's breath spell as the creature approached, scorching and temporarily disorienting it. Misty had time to cast a judgement on it before it regained its bearings and lunged at her. She blocked the geist with her shield and ran it through with her sword.

"C'mon lady, get out of dis hellhole!" Meowth urged.

"We can't accompany you back, but if you stick to the main road you might get out safely, now run!" Starwisp added. The woman thanked them and picked up her son, then rushed along the main road. The rescuers continued their search. Near a farm, an elderly man cowered with his back against a wagon, with only a pitchfork between him and a pair of laughing, snarling geists. Starwisp prepared her arrow before the undead creatures noticed their presence. Gary's fireball was quick to catch their attention, and this time the night elf was ready. Her arrow hit its mark almost as soon as the geist's head was turned. It wailed and blindly wobbled about, clutching at empty air. Meowth put his dagger through its back while James sliced the other geist in half mid-lunge. The old man ran along the main road, but wasn't as lucky as the lady and her kid; a geist leapt out of a dark alley and shredded the man, slicing him up with its talons before running away cackling, leaving the mutilated corpse behind.

"For each villager that dies before he can escape, we must free another! We will _not be outdone by the Scourge!_" the paladin stated, already heading off in a determined fashion, seeking another helpless civilian to save in the old man's place. On the outside, she appeared perfectly secure, stubborn, and fiery. Inside though, she was desperately seeking something, anything, that would make her significantly different from Arthas. James' words echoed in her mind: _First step on the road to evil._ _Fanaticism._ _Mirroring his fall._ _**Fanaticism.**_

XXX

The four adventurers in the mine stood over the bodies of two half-rotted miners they'd just slain, panting, glancing about in sheer terror.

"Come on," Ash whispered, "we have to keep moving…"

The others nodded and followed him. They didn't want to think about it, but it was hard; in such an environment, so quiet and creepy, it was difficult to not let one's imagination run wild, especially when it's already been established that the living dead wander the very halls you're in. It made the message more urgent; they _did_ have to keep moving – stay in one place for too long and risk being ganged up on by multiple attackers. Fighting two at once had been hard enough, too many more and it would spell certain doom. But the need to move was conflicted by the fear of moving – one wrong turn could be the end of them. They could be caught in a dead end, or lost forever in the winding tunnels. As they wandered farther and farther into the mine, they could feel panic beginning to set in. At one point, someone kicked a pebble across the ground, and an illusion of sound made it seem to come from behind. Jessie gasped and spun around, firing a shadowbolt into emptiness. The others quickly turned, but there was nothing. The warlock sighed in relief and glanced about fearfully. At this point, they could hear the sounds of picks striking stone in the distance. It was the only sound the adventurers were not the cause of. It was both comforting – the sound of an enemy is better than silence – and terrifying.

At last, they came to a small side-tunnel, a dead-end, mostly hidden. They slipped inside it to recover. It was wider inside than the entrance would suggest, but they didn't expect to see what they found. The body of a gnome lay before them. He had an alliance tabard, so it was almost certainly Slinkin. He had a note clutched in his death-grip. Kai removed it and read it aloud – in a whisper of course.

"Chased into a dead end. Hidden for now, but they know I'm here. It won't be long until they find me. The miners work tirelessly to unearth the strange ore that fuels the Scourge war machines. There is much banter. The language of death confounds me, but I have been able to identify commonly uttered sounds and phrases. The word 'Yogg-Saron' is said with great contempt and is usually followed by loud outbursts. They refer to the ore as 'saronite.' Meaning?"

"Saronite," Jessie muttered, "James has mentioned saronite – isn't that what his armor is made of? We'll have to ask him. He'll know what this is about."

"There's more in the note," Kai said. He then continued reading. "To whomever find this note: if there is good in your heart and your conscience is clear, read on. In this mine, near the foreman's scaffold, rests a hefty cargo of dynamite. Go there and pick up several bundles of the explosive and make your way towards the entrance of the mine. Once there, set the dynamite and blow up the entrance. Remember to do this for the upper and lower entry points of Wintergarde Mine. You must leave nothing to chance. The evil that exists here must never be allowed out. Light guide you."

The others nodded solemnly. "We'll rest here a bit first," Ash said, "and then we'll finish what Slinkin came here to start."


	35. Reunion

"I have no idea how they got a necrolord into the crypt," the dwarf said, "but ye gotta get 'im _out_ – and by that, I mean kill 'im. If 'e's allowed to stay, 'e'll just keep raisin' more nobles up to fight against us."

"We'll take care of it," James assured him, already heading into the ruined burial chamber. The others nodded at one another and followed him, descending into the darkness where only a few candles provided light. The death knight turned a corner and found himself face to face with a shade – a situation in which anyone else would have jumped back in horror – but didn't even flinch. He just raised a hand and sent the thing flying backwards with a blast of ice. The others in his group were less calm about it. The paladin's wings and crown of light appeared again and her sword and shield were in front of her in an instant. The mage cast a fireball at the ghost-like creature. Starwisp readied an arrow, glowing with arcane energy. The shade gasped and howled as it tried to attack the huntress – the only one with no way of protecting herself from the creature at close range. The arrow struck it as it approached, but the night elf had no options beyond that point. She backed away a few steps, but forced herself to stop. Backing away into another room was the worst thing one could do down there.

"Hey, Spooky! Over here!" Misty said, casting a judgement on the creature. It howled again as Gary aided the paladin's attack with a fireblast. Starwisp was able to get another magic arrow in, and the shade dissipated.

Fighting in such limited space was difficult, but eventually, they reached the necrolord. Gary didn't even give a plan of attack, he simply started casting. The necromancer turned away from the hologram of the lich he'd been talking to as a fireball hit his back. The necrolord said not a word but began to cast green fire. James pointed his runeblade at him, and interrupted the spellcasting with a blast of ice to the head. For a moment, Amarion simply stood there, his mind temporarily frozen. This gave Misty a chance to get a real attack in, slashing at him with her sword and casting a couple judgements. Another fireball flew past her and hit the necrolord, while Starwisp's arrows almost always hit their mark. Then Amarion recovered and with a blow of his staff to the paladin's shield, sent her flying backwards, but not quite into the wall. She rubbed her head and got back to her feet as the necrolord tried again to cast his green fire spell. He was stabbed through the back by James' sword, but it didn't stop the undead man. The fireball flew to Starwisp and knocked her to the ground. She winced and shuddered as the green fire blazed on her, and she couldn't put it out. It was incredibly painful, and clearly not normal fire, but she'd been aware of that just by the color. It was shadow fire, hurting not by burning but by simply being concentrated evil. She stood slowly, with small green flames licking about on her here and there, her eyes wide with pain and torment. Gary replied to this with a pyroblast.

"Two can play at the game of flames!"

"Fighting fire with fire, huh Gary?" Misty asked, casting another judgement and standing back to heal James while the death knight did most of the melee fighting. The green flames had worn off of the night elf, and the paladin healed her quickly before returning to healing James. Amarion tried to cast another shadow flame spell, but the mage was quick on his counter-spell this time. The necrolord was somewhat startled, and James saw his opportunity – he struck and, in one clean blow, lopped the necromancer's head right off. Apparently the image of the lich had been watching everything they'd done.

"Interesting," it said, "Master told me you and your kind would be a nuisance. No matter… You will be dealt with. The end will be the same. I can wait." And with that, he faded. James snorted, agitated.

Misty apparently noticed something next to where the hologram of the lich had been. She walked over and picked up a book, then gave a quiet gasp. "It… It's bound in flesh…"

A ghoul gurgled in the corner. The adventurers looked its way in shock; it hadn't been there a moment before. Another ghoul appeared to the other side.

"_Run!_" the mage said, turning and taking off. The travelers rushed through the halls – at every split, their minds raced to remember which way they'd come. If they went the wrong way they'd be killed. Ghouls were appearing everywhere, letting out their horrifying cries as their prey ran for their lives. Light! The entrance to the crypt was above them. The group rushed out, panting, and Misty quickly consecrated the ground before backing away over the glowing ground. The ghouls and other undead they'd attracted either paced just beyond the Light-touched earth or ran over it and died screaming.

"What have ye got there of such importance, paladin?" Durkon asked, eyes wide at what had just occurred. With trembling hands, Misty gave him the gruesome book. He shuddered when he saw it.

"The ghouls appeared out of nowhere when she picked it up," Gary said.

"Ah… the book be cursed then… Some sort of protection on it…" The dwarf glanced about warily. "I don't see any more ghouls, though, so I think ye be safe now that ye removed it from the crypt…" He opened it and looked at the words scratched into the pages made of skin, turning the book this way and that, perplexed. "Bah. I don't even know if I be readin' it the right way! Take it to High Commander Wyrmbane… 'E'll know what to do…"

The group returned to the safe section of the Keep and explained what had happened to Halford.

"I know just the person to talk to about this…"

XXX

Ash knelt by the pile of explosives, then stood up and smirked smugly, tossing and catching a stick of dynamite in one hand, holding a second stick in the other hand.

"We'll take the upper exit, blowing it up from outside, then we'll jump down and close off the lower exit."

"I sure hope you know what you're doing, twerp…" Jessie muttered.

"Come on; let's get out of here," Zaraia said, "the sooner we're out, the better!"

"How do you know how to get to the upper exit?" Kai asked, skeptical, "Wouldn't it be better to go back the way we came?"

"Do _you_ remember the path we took to get here?" the warrior replied.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then the chances of finding either exit are equal – we may as well start in a different direction in hopes of finding the other way out."

"But what if we don't find the way out?" the elf asked.

"We will. Now let's get this thing done." Ash set out, determined to find the entrance to the mine and blow it up once and for all. He hid his fear behind a mask of calm fortitude, inspiring the others in his group to have faith as well. They continued through the silent tunnels, trying to keep their imaginations and their terror under control. Zaraia was torn between talking to the group and remaining silent – on one hand, it was safer to be quiet, as they could hear things coming, and the undead wouldn't be able to locate them through sound. On the other hand, talking would alert their enemies to their presence, but it would certainly make them feel better. The elf remained silent for a while before she felt she had to voice a question that had been lurking in the back of her mind.

"What if we die here?"

"Then we'll die together," Ash stated matter-of-factly. This seemed to satisfy the mage, and she returned to her silence.

"Hey," Kai said, "hang on a moment."

"What is it?" Jessie asked.

The dark-skinned boy picked up a strange piece of blue-black metal and showed it to the group. "I dunno. Is this the saronite Slinkin's note mentioned?"

"It looks the same color as James' armor, so if he _does_ wear saronite plate, I think that's _exactly_ what this is."

There was a dry gasp as a skeletal defender attacked them from nowhere. Ash suddenly realized that he couldn't use his sword while holding the dynamite, and having it underfoot was a bad idea. He quickly gave one the explosives to pikachu and whipped out a sword. There was no time to find a place for the second stick; he simply had to fight with only one weapon.

The warlock was quick to cast a chaos bolt and curse the undead, while Zaraia used her typical arcane missiles. Kai did all he could to just use his fists and feet to keep the skeleton at bay while the casters did their thing. Ash tried to help, but his sword was doing little good. The warrior decided to stand back and let the others handle it.

Jessie decided to drain the unlife of her opponent, and see just how much the skeleton could take. Apparently, not much; it collapsed almost immediately.

After what felt like forever, they reached the exit. A wooden platform with a square hole in it – presumably where things were lifted straight up to reach the upper end of the mine – extended a couple yards out from the cave entrance. At the bottom, a few feet to the side, was the lower entrance; the one they'd first come in through. The warrior took the dynamite from his pokemon, and put it next to the tunnel wall at the entrance to the mine.

"Little fire spell over here, please, Jessie." The warlock did as she was asked, and the group jumped off the wooden platform and rushed away for cover. There was a loud explosion and the sound of rocks falling. After a moment, Ash and Jessie set up the second bomb at the bottom entrance, then returned to where Zaraia and Kai were taking shelter. Another explosion, more rocks falling, and the deed was done.

XXX

"Take the book and follow the path leading up to the barracks," Wyrmbane ordered, "Once inside the barracks take the staircase down to the prison. At the prison you will find Inquisitor Hallard and our mayor, Godfrey. I believe Godfrey might be the missing piece of this puzzle and Hallard the man to put it all together. Go now!"

Off they went, with the fleshbound tome in hand, to the barracks. In the main hall, there were many Alliance soldiers gathered around a man who was giving some sort of speech, while holograms of four mounted death knights rotated on pedestals nearby.

"…The third death knight, Sir Zeliek, a paladin in life, so strong in his faith, that even in undeath, the power of the light still heeds his call, smiting his foes in battle…"

This vaguely caught Misty's attention for a moment, before she continued down the stairs with the rest of the group, into the prison.

"Ah," said the priest," you come from High Command, my children? Welcome. What is it you have there?" Misty gave the book to him, and he raised an eyebrow. "Well, perhaps with proper motivation, Godfrey will tell us what he knows about this." He turned to the ghoul that was chained to the wall inside the open cell. "Isn't that right, Mayor?"

"Ghouls can talk?" Gary asked, skeptically.

"They can," James said, "Well, some of them. Most of them can only piece together very broken common, but some of them are smarter."

"Well whatever," Meowth said, "let's just hear what da Mayor has to say about dat book…"

"Stand back, my children," the priest instructed calmly, "the beast may lash out and I would not want you getting hurt.

_**Godfrey!**__ Hear me, fiend! Hear me, for I am the Light, here to deliver you from evil!_"

The ghoul growled at him.

"Good. I have your attention, then, Mayor? We can do this one of two ways. First, we'll try the easy way. I'll simply ask you what this book is about. What say you, Godfrey, hm?"

Godfrey just hissed at him and hesitated before speaking. "Tell you nothing, preacher! What can you do to me that Kel'thuzad has not? That Lich King has not? Book is your salvation, yes, but me tell you nothing! Nothing I say, nothing!"

"Alright then," the inquisitor replied calmly, as though he and the ghoul were merely discussing the weather, and opened a holy book. "We can do this the hard way, if you insist." He cleared his throat. "I say a prayer for you now, Lost Soul. May the Light take you gracefully. Let the sermon begin.

_The power of the Lich King pales in comparison to the glory of the Light!_

_**Burn in holy fire!**_"

_May the power of the Light compel you!_

_**Burn in holy fire!**_"

Godfrey began to yowl, glowing and sparkling faintly. He acted as though he was burning alive. "It burns, it burns!"

"_**Burn in holy fire!**_"

"No! No more! No more!"

"I thought you would see the Light, Godfrey," the priest said, closing his book and returning his voice to its usual gentle tone, "Now speak quickly. What does the tome say?"

"It tells of coming apocalypse. How world will be reborn from death."

"_Rubbish!_ Godfrey, do you take me for a fool? _Do not spew your Scourge propaganda at a man of the Light, heathen!_ Speak now or I will have the peasants craft a holy water bath and dip you into it like a dog with fleas!"

The group couldn't help but giggle a bit at that mental image.

"No! Me tell you everything! No bath!"

"Alright, then go on."

"Beneath ground you built mausoleum! Why you think Naxxramas attack this spot? Thel'zan hide in mausoleum and send thousand-thousand corpses at you! Perish you will."

"_What?_ There is a mausoleum here? What fools we were to not notice! We will find it and strike your master down, Godfrey. We will end this nightmare."

"How? You humans dumb. Very dumb. Thel'zan the Duskbringer! Thel'zan the Lich! He born of human flesh and blood and sacrificed all for power, he protected by Lich King! You not stop! He bears dark gift, bestowed by Lich King himself!"

"You let us worry about how to kill the monster, Godfrey," the priest said. He turned to the adventurers. "Return to Halford with the information the good Mayor was kind enough to submit. I will finish here and squeeze whatever else I can out of him. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to show him the rarely seen option three."

"Uh oh," the ghoul muttered, a priceless expression on its face.

"Ahem. Let's you and I have a chat about some things, now, shall we, Godfrey?"

The heroes returned to Wyrmbane and told him what they now knew.

"We should have known about the damned mausoleum. This is preposterous! Duke August Foehammer and Ambo Cash will be dispatched to the front lines in preparation for our next assault. Once your friends have cleared the mines I will send you to Foehammer so that we may begin our attack against the Scourge of Naxxramas! The information you have garnered thus far will be sent to Lord Fordragon at the Wrathgate upon the wings of our most able gryphon!"

Meanwhile, Quarterflash was waiting on the path between the mine and the place where Halford Wyrmbane stood. When Ash and friends reached him and summed up what had happened, he took the sample of ore the Kai had picked up, and examined it quickly. He wrote a quick note and told them to take it and the ore to the High Commander. And thus the group was reunited.

"You guys survived, great!" Gary said, then added in a tongue-in-cheek manner, "Though I had _really_ hoped we'd lose Ash in there. Oh well."

"Haha, very funny, mage. I see your face is still intact; what a shame," the warrior replied, "it could have been vastly improved."

Misty opened her mouth to give her opinion of this conversation but was cut off.

"I understand that you're glad to see each other, but we have more important things to attend to," Wyrmbane said. He took the ore and letter. After reading, he said, "I am by no means a scientist, so you'll have to forgive my plebian understanding of what has been written. Now, according to this analysis… we still don't know jack squat about the Scourge war machine. The only thing we do know is that the Scourge uses this foul metal to craft its siege engines, armor and weaponry."

"What, saronite?" James asked.

"This metal," the High Commander said, handing the metal over. It was indeed exactly the same color as the death knight's armor.

"Yeah, that's saronite. You needed an analysis to tell you that stuff? _I_ coulda told you _that_."

"_So why didn't you!_"

"You never asked. I assumed you knew."

Everyone present put their hand over their face and collectively sighed.


	36. Into Hostile Territory

It was as the young mage was finishing his breakfast the following morning that it hit him; _that_ was why she was never around during meals. _That _was why she seemed weak and tired. It all finally fell into place: he never saw the paladin eating anymore because _she wasn't_. It all made sense now! Always claiming to have already eaten, or that she wasn't hungry. Wearing her armor more than usual to hide that she was becoming a bit underweight. Why in the world would she be starving herself? Gary immediately set out to figure out what was going on – even though, deep down, he already knew what the problem was.

After searching for a while, he found her, on top of one of the walls, looking out over the vast, snowy plains. He decided to start the conversation gently; he'd pry more if she wouldn't cooperate.

"Hey… Misty… I noticed that you haven't been eating much… Why not?"

"I… just haven't been hungry is all… Or I'd already eaten by the time you guys were up. That's all… I just ha-" she trailed off mid-sentence when she realized Gary just wasn't buying it.

The mage just looked at her calmly. "Come on, Misty. Just because Ash told you I'm stupid doesn't mean it's true." She couldn't help but smile a bit at that comment, and that brought a hint of a grin to his face as well. It quickly vanished as he continued, perfectly serious. "Now tell me what's really going on; you aren't eating. The whole 'not hungry' thing might be able to convince some of the others, but I can see right through it, so you'll need to tell me the truth here. You're starving yourself, and no sane woman would do that without a reason. Something's wrong, anyone with half a brain could see that – which is probably why Ash hasn't figured out that something's up."

The paladin giggled a bit at that joke. That was Gary's secret to getting her to talk: he could make her laugh in even the most serious situations, and make her feel comfortable discussing her problems. The smile vanished again from the mage's face, and Misty nodded in understanding. "I… I've been too troubled to eat… It's made me lose my appetite, really…"

"Let me guess… You're still questioning yourself over what James said back in Howling Fjord, right?"

"Yeah…"

Gary sighed. He was getting quite tired of this, but even so, it made him more worried that he had been before; he hadn't realized how serious the problem was. "How many times do I have to tell you, you have no reason to worry? You're a good person. You can still command the Light, can't you?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Point proven. When a paladin becomes evil, she loses her powers. Therefore, you're not evil."

"Not now, but… Arthas wasn't evil when he was a paladin, either. He _became_ evil, and that's what I'm worried about. And… what if I do have some… _darkness_ hiding in my heart…"

Gary had nothing to say to that. He was still trying to come up with a response when Misty continued speaking.

"And besides… remember that lesson that was being given when we went to question the Mayor… That death knight they mentioned, in Naxxramas – Sir Zeliek. He still commands the Light, and he's evil…"

Gary smiled. "After hearing that, I became interested in these horsemen of Naxxramas, and I did a little research, and I assure you, you have that entirely wrong. Zeliek was – _is_ – a wonderful person, and everything every paladin should aspire to be. He just had the misfortune to have his body controlled by the Scourge like a puppet. If anything, you should _idolize_ Zeliek. His body belongs to the undead, and yet, from what survivors of raids on Naxxramas say, his heart remains strong and pure, even in the face of such evil. _That_ is why the Light still obeys him. If you think you're similar to Sir Zeliek, that's a _good_ thing."

"But what about the Scarlet Crusade?"

That struck Gary silent. In a mere six words, Misty had completely deconstructed his entire argument.

"That's also been worrying me… Have you ever had one word just… repeating itself over and over in your mind?"

"Um…"

"Well… _fanaticism._ He said that was the Scarlet Crusade's downfall, their weakness. And… implied that it's mine as well."

"You're not a fanatic. You're very devoted to the cause, but you still act logically. You're faithful, that's all. Not fanatical. Don't compare yourself to the Scarlets."

"I hope so… but I can't help but worry and doubt…"

Gary put his hand on her shoulder. "Misty, listen to me. You're a brave, powerful, beautiful, faithful young paladin, and I have more respect for you than I do for Tirion Fordring himself. You're a wonderful person, and whether you believe it or not… _I_ do."

"… Thanks… I'm glad I have you to talk to…" Something in her eyes suggested that she wasn't totally convinced by what he'd said, though.

"Don't mention it. Now cheer up and get something to eat."

XXX

"You have done much to advance our efforts against the Scourge, kids. In fact, the morale of all those who have come into contact with you soars! Such is your influence over the soldiers and citizenry of Wintergarde, my friends," Halford said, "It is because of you that we are now prepared to go on the offensive! You are to report to Duke August Foehammer, across the Carrion Fields at Thorson's Post, east of here. Gryphon Commander Urik at the gryphon station has prepared special gryphons to drop you behind enemy lines. Go now!"

Wyrmbane saluted the adventurers as they went to the gryphons to fly into combat. The great birds flew out over the ruins, where frost wyrms circled near Naxxramas. Upon landing by a barn with many steam tanks around it, a dwarf rushed up to them.

"Ah, the distinguished heroes arrive! I've heard a lot about ye, kids. Welcome to ground zero. Allow me to bring ye up to speed! Thel'zan's most powerful forces have made their way into the Wintergarde Mausoleum. They plumb its depths in search of corpses and souls to send against Wintergarde while Naxxramas rains down terrible Scourge plague machines, set to hold us at bay! We must strike now and hope that Lord Fordragon is able to hold out at the Wrathgate for just a little longer."

"Alright then," Jessie said, "what do you want us to do?"

Foehammer pointed to the tanks. "Split up however ye see fit and get into some of those tanks. We have soldiers to deliver to the mausoleum, and plague carts to destroy. Ye won't be driving the tanks, but ye can operate some of the guns if ye like, or ye can just hide inside and wait for our machines to arrive at their destination. Once you arrive, meet with Ambo Cash."

XXX

"So, you wiped out those plague wagons up in the fields and got here in one piece. Impressive. You're some of the first to make it this far, friend. Too bad you gotta go right back out into the Carrion Fields. Yep, we've had a bit of a setback," Ambo said.

"Oh no," Gary muttered, "what happened?"

"The munitions drop went badly, friend. The shipment of ammo from Westguard Keep was intercepted by the frostwyrms circling overhead. The flying machines were torn apart in a matter of seconds and their cargo was scattered to the wind. Most of it is still topside - on the Carrion Fields. I'm gonna need you to go back up and recover the munitions crates that are scattered all over this damned place. Hurry it up! We can't start this offensive without guns and ammo!"

"Alright… let's go get that stuff then," Kai muttered. The group left the crypt reluctantly – despite all the ghouls inside and all the gunfire as the soldiers held the monsters back, the group felt safer in there; at least it wasn't an open space where an attack could come from anywhere. As the adventurers came out into the open, several of them glanced up at the undead dragons circling Naxxramas. Their own dragon snorted and scowled at the monstrosities. A wight moaned and came rushing over at them. Ash was the first to react, lunging almost instantly with both swords. James was also quick to react, trying to help the warrior hold the monster back while the casters gathered their senses and their mana. Somehow the undead fiend got past Ash's swords, and slashed him across the shoulder so hard he spun a full circle before hitting the ground, a huge gash torn right through his armor, bleeding badly.

"Ash?" Zaraia cried out. She angrily battered the wight with an arcane barrage, while the death knight stabbed his runeblade into the monster's chest, struggling with all his strength to keep the creature away from the fallen warrior.

Misty stared in shock for a split second. _You can still command the Light, can't you? When a paladin becomes evil, she loses her powers._ For a moment, she doubted that she could actually use the Light. Her belief faltered for a brief instant, before she shook her head violently and started trying to heal her old friend. There was a flash of particularly bright light and the warrior hauled himself to his feet. The paladin smiled ever so slightly, even as the fight raged in front of her. The death knight eventually lopped the head off the monster with a wide swing of his runeblade.

"There!" Meowth said, pointing his dagger at a couple boxes, "Ammo!" He rushed over and picked them both up, struggling to hold up the containers that would have been a bit heavy even for humans. Starwisp took them from him and placed them in the storage plane.

"Cover me," the night elf said, "I'm going to scout with Aeroth." As she spoke, she took control of the bird, leaving her own body in a trance. The group defended her from some attacking geists until the bird returned and Starwisp regained control of her own body. "Follow me."

XXX

"Just in time! Some of my soldiers got a little overzealous and decided to wade into the crypts directly to the east and west of us. Needless to say, they were quickly overwhelmed by those mindless ghouls. We need to rescue the survivors! As you can see, we've set up chain guns and barricades directly to the east and to the west. Our injured soldiers are hiding in both rooms - trying their best to not alert the mindless ghouls to their presence. Now that we have more ammo, I need you to man some of the chain guns that my men aren't currently using, and use them to blast a path clear for our soldiers! Once you're on board, call a soldier out from hiding and then lay down heavy fire to keep the Scourge off him!"

"Right then," Gary said, "_you guys_ man the guns… _I'll_ stand back and do what mages do best."

"What Gary said. He can take the right side, and I'll take the left," Zaraia offered. The group split and set about shooting while the mages cast blizzard spells on the ghouls. One by one, the trapped soldiers made their way out while being protected by magic and bullets, until every single one of them was safe.

"Utterly amazing, kids! I haven't seen heroics like that since the war in Silithus! I am going to personally make sure each and every one of these soldiers send a recommendation to Fordragon that you all be promoted. You deserve it. Now… On to more pressing matters… We've received word from our scouts that Thel'zan is close…"


	37. Wanted Dead or Alive

"How close?" Ash asked, still on an adrenaline rush from the rescue.

"We don't know," Ambo replied, "There's been talk of a tunnel dug by Scourge that connects the embalming chambers of the mausoleum with the large crypts, now unearthed by Thel'zan and his minions. I recently sent my best rogue, Plunderbeard, in search of answers, but have yet to hear back from him. If I were a betting man I'd wager that he's a goner. I want you to go down those steps and head straight through the embalming chamber and look for Plunderbeard. Dead or alive, he'll have answers."

"Oh, _won_derful!" Gary muttered sarcastically, "We get to go look for a guy who's probably dead and very likely _undead_."

"Nothing like we haven't handled before," Ash said, recalling the adventures in the mine, "How bad can it possibly be this time?"

"_I_, for one, am quite ready for this," the paladin stated, drawing her sword. She had already entered a battle-fury, and wasn't coming out of it any time soon.

James opened his mouth as though to speak, but then shut it again, evidently deciding against saying whatever was on his mind.

"Alright, then, let's do this," said Kai, with a nod. He clenched and unclenched his fists, following Misty, who was already on her way down into the hellhole beyond the guards' blockade. The others nodded or grunted in acknowledgement and descended.

The halls were cold and dark, smelling of blood and decay (though nobody noticed that anymore – they were used to it, having traveled with James for so long), and there were bits of stone cracked or crumbled here and there. The crypt split off four ways, including the entrance, in a cross-shaped intersection. Meowth hid in the shadows and moved quietly along, scouting. The pokemon was small, swift, and stealthy enough to avoid detection. He returned from one room, then entered the next. When he returned from that one, he whispered "Move straight. Side passages are dead ends."

The trainers, sharing a general sense of unease, called out their pokemon to accompany them as they moved silently through the dark tunnels. It was hard to see, with only a torch or two here and there, spread far apart – even the undead needed some light to see by. Occasionally, the tunnel would get narrower for a couple feet – almost like some kind of arch to help support the bricks in the ceiling. Imaginations ran rampant; every one of those tiny walls could have a skeleton or zombie behind it, hiding in the shadows, waiting to slay unsuspecting adventurers. For a moment, the three casters silently considered using magic to create a source of light, a source of comfort, but that would only draw attention to them – the last thing they needed.

Something moved in the corner; Misty instantly spun around and pointed her sword at whatever it was that had cast a dark, shifting shadow amongst shadows – it was only a rat, whose shadow was being played with by the flickering light of a fairly distant torch. The paladin sighed very quietly in relief. The others, who had been startled by her sudden reaction to the creature, also seemed to relax a bit. They didn't realize that the rat had been moving away for a reason. After waiting a moment to allow their heart rate to slow a bit, they continued. Beyond the next arch there was only shadow, too deep and dark to see, but it wouldn't be long until they found another torch, given the intervals at which the previous lights had been placed. As Starwisp was about to move into the shadows, a rotting, stitched up face emerged as an abomination lumbered out, growling, its beady eyes fixed on the elf, the crooked mouth pulled into a snarl, the metal hook in its hand ready to slice through flesh. The night elf froze for a moment, eyes wide, like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck, but unlike a deer, she unfroze and darted agilely out of the way as the hook slammed into the ground. Zaraia, Ash, and Misty were the first to respond, aggressively lunging with sword and spell. The abomination groaned, but assessed the situation as well as it could with its primitive brain and decided that the young mage was the most threatening, so it swung its hook-chain at her. She blinked away in a panic. Frustrated, the monster tried to bring its axe down on the paladin; unable to evade the attack, she simply generated a bubble of holy energy around her while backing away as the second mage came to her aid, blasting the thing with a fireball. Jessie followed it up with a shadowbolt, but the abomination suddenly caught her with its hook, yanking her forward as it had tried to do to Zaraia. The warlock was not able to teleport away, and found herself in the death-grip of the monster, just as pikachu shocked it. Its grip automatically tightened around her for a moment, and then it threw her at the pokemon. The pokemon darted out of the way; the warlock landed with a thud. She tried to get up, but couldn't.

"Jessie?" the death knight asked; it had all happened so fast he was unable to really register what had occurred. The warlock was unable to respond – she was in far too much pain and breathing was hard. Now angry, James was able to cut two of the limbs off the abomination with only a few strokes of the runeblade, then rammed the glowing sword through the gut of the monster. It moaned and tried to beat him with the stump of its arm, but Kai came out of nowhere and kicked the arm aside, giving the death knight a chance to back off and come in a second time, this time with a frost attack, slicing halfway through the short neck. The abomination collapsed. The group gathered around the fallen warlock. She'd broken several ribs, her shoulder, and possibly her lower back, and was most likely bleeding internally.

"Can you heal her?" the warrior asked, looking at Misty expectantly.

"I… don't know…" the paladin replied, as she began trying to cast a healing spell. The warm, golden light flashed brightly; everyone glanced around nervously – the light, not to mention the loud combat just before, could have drawn attention. Jessie sat up as the pain began to fade.

"Thanks, twerp."

"Guess I'm more powerful than I thought…"

"Come on," Gary said, "We need to keep moving."

"Right…"

The mage led the way into the next room, which was distinctly different from what they had seen. There were tables in random places throughout the room, with body parts, knives, bubbling potions, and tools lying on them. A couple tables had whole undead men strapped to them. A few undead scientists were experimenting, while rotting gnomes wandered around busily, carrying horrific devices and twitching body parts. Half-constructed abominations hung from the ceiling, as did cobwebs and bottles of blood and ooze. As the group slipped out of the shadows, into the room, ready to fight, an eye in a jar of fluid turned and stared at them. _Every body part in the room was still 'alive'!_ But it was the calm nature of the area that made it really creepy. Nothing was really _happening_, just the undead going about their serious, organized work. Twisted, but completely monotonous. The tension was building, but nothing happened to release it. In the end, the adventurers launched an attack with little planning, just because they could no longer stand the lack of release for their tension.

Gary rushed in, casting dragon's breath, announcing his arrival in a burst of flame. The tension had been released. The rest of the group ran into the room as scientists and assistants charged at the mage. He blinked away just as Zaraia ran in, cast frost nova, and also blinked away. The young elf began channeling a blizzard while her human companion started casting a flamestrike. Jessie joined the destructive chaos with her signature rain of fire. The icy chains broke just as the flamestrike leapt up from the ground. Gary took this as his turn to freeze his opponents, running by with a frost nova, getting in a couple arcane explosions as well. Misty went right to the center of the group of undead and grinned around at them tauntingly for a moment before slamming her sword in between two stones in the ground, consecrating the area. The Scourge around her began to scream as they were locked to the holy ground. The paladin then joined the warrior and death knight in melee combat. As many as three arrows flew past at a time as Starwisp practiced multi-shooting. Kai took the direct method of fighting; as the area of effect spells continued to rage around the armored fighters, the boy resumed his dragon form and simply started slashing with his claws and shooting flames. Undead began to collapse as the adventurers battled their way through.

A scientist cackled madly as he came at the dragon with a needle. It pierced the unarmored skin on his wings and the Scourge technician began to inject a green fluid. He didn't get very far, because Starwisp kicked the undead's arm away and punched his chest with her clawed hand, impaling him and flinging him to the floor.

"Misty! We need a cleanse spell over here, on the dragon!" the elf called.

"Just a moment!" the paladin replied, as she used her foot to push an impaled enemy off of her sword, before turning to cast. An undead gnome leapt at her from behind, with a dissection knife. The mage saw this out of the corner of his eye; the world seemed to slow. He instantly blinked over and rammed his staff into the gnome's side, crashing into Misty in the process. They both crashed to the ground just as she cast the cleanse on Kai, and the remained undead surged in toward them. Thinking fast, the mage could come up with only one thing to do – he grabbed the paladin and held her tightly against his chest so she wouldn't be burned by the fire that was about to erupt around them, and cast blast wave. But this was no point for tension or awkwardness; they let go of one another and stood as the boy cast frost nova.

"Help me out here!" Gary called out, "I'm nearly out of mana and I can't keep up!"

Four of the undead broke their icy prison and lunged. The death knight leapt in from the side, swinging his mighty sword and slicing through all of them in a single stroke. "You called, twerp?"

The fight raged on. The paladin renewed the consecration on the ground. Through the sounds of swords and flesh, cries and calls, feet and fists, there could be heard the electric buzz of lightning attacks, the shattering of glass as pikachu's thundershocks jolted about and struck lab equipment as well as bodies. Steam filled the air as flame met water, as vaporeon fired powerful water jets from her mouth. Absol wrestled opponents to the ground before ripping them apart like some great hunting hound. Starwisp's bird shrieked and cried out as it tore through faces and shoulders with its long talons. The enemy forces were nearly destroyed, and they were falling faster and faster. Ash stabbed the last scientist with one blade and lopped its head off with the other. Blood-spattered and tired, the travelers looked around at the lab. Some of the Scourge test subjects were still there, on their tables, incapable of action. Misty walked over and beheaded each one calmly, putting them out of their miserable state of existence. The group began to calm down and started splitting up, looking around the room, trying to find some kind of passage.

"Well lovely," Jessie said, "a dead end. All of that for nothing."

The paladin's voice came from around a corner, in a small alcove; "It wasn't for nothing – we disposed of many Scourge. And also, it's not a dead end."

The others came over to her. She was standing by a pile of two or three of the stone blocks that made up the wall. They'd been removed from a part of the wall to create a door-sized hole, where a tunnel was dug into the earth. Gary looked at the girl admiringly, but said not a word – nothing he could praise her for at that moment would make any sense without sounding stupid.

"Come on," Kai said, returning to human form, "we need to hurry – just because we cleared this room doesn't mean there aren't more Scourge in here; we'd do best to get in the tunnel where we can only be attacked from one of two directions and won't have to watch our sides."

The group entered the earthy, burrow-like passageway. It had no support beams, only roots, long and thick, that came down and created twisting pillars and ropes, curling down from the ceiling like snakes in still silence. It was damp and cold, less watertight than the crypt, and the occasional drop of water landed on the heads or shoulders of the adventurers: a very uncomfortable thing in the frigid north.

Zaraia tripped over a root sticking out of the rough, uneven ground. Luckily, Ash was able to catch her. They blushed slightly before the mage was able to steady herself, and they continued.

It wasn't long until they found the partially-eaten body of a dwarf lying chest down, its head sideways, wearing a typical rogue's mask and a dull alliance tabard – dark enough to not be seen in the shadows, but just clear enough to be identifiable on a corpse.

James rolled the cadaver over onto its back. "I'm surprised he isn't one of them yet – he can't have been dead long." The death knight searched the corpse for anything useful. "There's a journal. Dragging corpses into the reanimation room; bone constructs; yadda yadda yadda… Ah, here we go. 'I have discovered the location of the lich's phylactery. It is...' Just our luck. The rest of the pages are torn out."

"Then we'll have to find them," the paladin stated matter-of-factly, "We _have_ to find out where the lich keeps that phylactery – he _must_ be destroyed."

"How? We don't have a clue where to look!" Starwisp protested.

"I bet whatever's at the other end of the tunnel has the rest of the journal," the warrior said.

Gary shrugged. "It's worth a shot. Let's go."


	38. The Boneyard

After continuing through the tunnel, the group found themselves peering out past the roots into a large crypt. Horrifying golems constructed from miscellaneous bones and other leftovers unsuited for making abominations wandered around. They had terrible scythes for hands and their enormous jaws hung loosely in their cowls, dangling by the chest. Ghostly figures wandered, chains limply dragging behind their incorporeal forms.

"Alright, so what's the plan of attack?" Ash asked.

"Casters on the ghosts, fighters on the bone golems. Daggers and arrows are useless," Misty stated.

"Kai and Starwisp can fight without weapons," Gary observed.

"Right," the dragon-boy said.

"I don't need my dagger to fight either," Meowth said eagerly, "I'll fight 'em with my bare claws!"

"Then what are we wasting time for?" James growled through gritted teeth, "I have Scourge to destroy."

"Agreed," the paladin replied, drawing her sword, "Let's do this."

The warrior charged in first, using his swords to snap bone rather than cut. The paladin followed his example, but lit up the entire chamber with golden light as she cast various holy spells. The ground split and burned with holy fire. Hammers of light struck the undead, even as they still attempted to recover from the ambush.

The warlock and two mages stood nearly back to back in a triangle, unleashing their magic on the ghosts. Zaraia was blasting everything in sight with concentrated arcane energies as her fellow mage cast fireball after fireball, dragon's breath and pyroblast. Jessie called down a rain of fire and shadows swirled about her like black flames as the warlock unleashed demonic energy.

"You know what they always say… _fight evil with evil._"

Absol tackled the undead and snapped their bones with his teeth, flinging their shattered bodies into one another. Meowth struggled to make an impact in the fighting, but the brave cat would not give up. He climbed onto the backs of the bone golems and tried to snap their heads off by jamming his blade between the vertebrae and using it like a crowbar.

Kai and Starwisp kicked and punched their way through the fight, knocking ribs and teeth out of the constructs, even as the bladed limbs slashed at them. The nimble night elf and dragon-boy were able to dodge the attacks with agility to rival the quick death knight. Frosty winds raged as James swung his mighty glowing runeblade with such force that it nearly _sliced_ the bones rather than shattering them.

"Scourge _filth. Die!_"

Pikachu was sparking and crackling like a blown fuse, spraying electricity everywhere. Vaporeon was darting gracefully around the battlefield, tripping and confusing the undead, blasting any that came at her with powerful jets of water.

A ghost materialized in just the right place; the three casters broke their triangle and were forced apart. Alone and fragile, each had to fend for themselves. The warlock summoned her felhound to protect her. The demon dog snapped bones with its great jaws and drained the very essence of ghosts with its ability to eat magic and spirit. Zaraia blinked over to Ash for protection; the warrior was not expecting it and it took everything he had to fight off four bone golems and protect the delicate mage at the same time. The blood elf used her magic exclusively on the ghosts. She took a nasty wound to the side from the blade of a bone golem. The offending limb was promptly severed by an infuriated warrior.

Gary, however, was on his own, separated from the rest of the group. He was surrounded. "Alright then," he growled, "you want to play rough? _Well playtime starts __now_." He knew he had to act fast, or he'd be killed. But he was a fire mage, and had a clever trick or two up his sleeve. He cast mana shield, and it was a race against time. He had to cast enough spells that they'd be able to do considerable damage, but he also had to do it fast enough that his mana supply wouldn't run out – not only was he casting, but he was fueling his own invulnerability with his magic. He cast living bomb on everything he could. The mage could feel his mana bubble beginning to fade, and he knew that if it wore off, he'd be killed almost right away. Gary quickly froze himself in an ice block, just as the first living bomb spell went off, causing a small explosion. One after another, the ghosts exploded. The mage snapped himself out of his ice block, and was surrounded by the dissipating ectoplasm, having emptied his corner of the room. Suddenly, a dark shape leapt from the shadows and tackled the fire mage to the ground. Gary found himself staring up into the eyesockets of an undead mightyena. Its fur was matted, with large chunks missing; bits of flesh were torn away from the rib cage, limbs, tail, and neck. Most of the skin on its face was ripped away, leaving only a bloody skull and a single ear. Red points of light floated in the sockets. The mage instinctively blinked away and turned to face the monster. He glanced back to the main group. They were busy fighting – he was on his own.

The pokemon pounced. The mage blasted it with dragon's breath and locked it in place with ice. He charged a pyroblast as the beast tried to free itself. The ice broke as the great fireball flew at its target. The creature shrieked but it was already airborne. It hit the boy, hard. He cried out in pain as the teeth sank into his arm. Using his free hand, he conjured up an ice lance and slammed it into the fleshy portion of the undead monstrosity's back. It let go and tried to attack that hand. Bleeding badly, the mage scorched the skull of the monster and blinked away. He cast a frostfire bolt, combining two of his most basic spells on the spot. The bolt hit the mightyena in the neck, pushing it back far enough that the monster was slowed for a moment as it tried to bring its head forward again with rotted muscles. This gave Gary time to cast a flamestrike, centered right around himself. Fire erupted from the ground around the mage as his cape flapped around violently. The undead beast was weakened, its pale bones darkened by repeated burning and freezing. It growled and lunged again. The mage was too slow to react this time, and was caught by the leg. The mightyena threw him sideways and he slammed into a wall. Dazed, he tried to pick himself up off the ground, but the monster stood over him, opening its jaws for the kill.

"Not today, you don't," the young caster growled as he thrust an ice lance into the inside of the beast's mouth, up through the skull. It writhed and tried to free itself.

"Get them over here!" Misty called, as she re-consecrated the ground, "I have an idea!"

Everyone gathered their foes and brought them into the holy circle. The undead wailed but could not stay away; the pokemon, elves, dragon, and humans they had been fighting had them too riled up.

Gary, still holding the mightyena back with the spear through its skull, saw this as his chance. Using all of his strength, he used the lance as a sort of lever, flinging the undead pokemon straight into the consecrated area. He smoothly transitioned into a blizzard spell. Jessie took this as her cue to cast a rain of fire. As magic fell from above, Misty unleashed her holy wrath on the undead surrounding her. Time almost seemed to slow for a moment as blindingly bright golden light erupted from each of the undead, including the pokemon. Almost all of them were killed, and the rest were stunned long enough for the remaining group members to dispose of them quickly.

The paladin collapsed in exhaustion. The mage stumbled over, clutching his wounded arm. He knelt next to her, as everyone grouped nearby. After a couple moments of recovery, Misty healed the group's wounds, and Gary conjured water for the tired adventurers. Everyone rested for a few minutes before going about their original task – finding the journal pages. They rummaged through dozens and dozens of the packs the golems had on their backs. Occasionally someone would call out and wave a page in the air. James gathered all the pages that were found and put them in order until he had all the information there was to have.

The death knight scratched his head. "Icestorm. What does he mean, Icestorm? Who or what is Icestorm?"

"Perhaps Ambo would know," Zaraia suggested.

"I hope so; this is the last entry in the journal – the bottom half of the page is blank."

XXX

The man's face went pale. "The good news is that we know where the phylactery is and how to get to it, since we can easily find Icestorm. The bad news is that Icestorm is a rather large frost wyrm…"

"Wonderful," Jessie muttered.

There was a long hesitation before Ambo continued. "At any rate, you should go to the Seventh Legion Front. Head out to the Path of the Titans and follow it north. It will take you directly there. They'll know what to do. It has been a pleasure working with you, kids. Good luck."

"Good luck to you too," Misty replied.

XXX

The group's mounts walked slowly along the gigantic stone road, as auroras flitted through the sky and light snow floated down, landing silently in the hair of the adventurers. As far as the eye could see, there was snow and dragon bones.

"How are we going to find the right frost wyrm?" Gary asked, "there're enough bodies out here to make thousands and thousands of the things!"

"Well," the paladin replied, "he did say Icestorm is particularly large, so I'm sure the Seventh Legion – if they know so much about frost wyrms – will be able to track it down."

The mage nodded. There was a long silence as the group continued northward. Kai kept his head bowed the entire time. He was among the bones of the Elders, not to mention that the fields and uncolonized parts of the Dragonblight were holy ground to dragons. The young black drake felt a deep respect, and an almost religious obligation to remain silent and humble. That the Scourge would raise those sacred bones into an undead monstrosity filled him with burning hate and rage, and to destroy a frost wyrm felt like the right thing to do – not only to destroy a great evil, but to bring honor back to the bones of the dragon. It was like bringing a grave robber to justice.

At long last they came to an encampment. Small tents were set up behind a natural ledge, with four harpoon guns, and several men. One man was on the back of a white gryphon. The commander saw them approaching.

"You're the ones they sent to help us take down Icestorm? I was expecting some… older… soldiers. Oh well, you must know what you're doing if you're out here, I suppose."

"That's us," Ash said, "now all we need's the wyrm."

"_That_ will not be a problem – we've been tracking her. All that remains is to bring her here. 'Wyrmbait' will take care of that."

"Sure thing, Commander!" the man on the gryphon replied, sounding slightly nervous. The great bird spread its wings and took flight.

Commander Tyralion shook his head. "We've taken down at least a dozen frost wyrms, and the Scourge has fuel for ten-thousand more out here. I don't know how long we'll be able to hold out."

"Such disrespect toward the grave of both human and dragon… I will rip Arthas limb from limb with my own hands for this atrocity!" Kai snarled.

"Good luck with that," the death knight growled, "Many others have sworn that they'd be the ones to kill him themselves. I think the most violent fight will be not with him, but with each other, over who gets the kill…"

"Here she comes!" someone shouted from the harpoon guns. The group looked up; the great wyrm was chasing the gryphon rider straight toward them. Wyrmbait suddenly rolled and dove to the side, leaving the dragon confused for a moment. Harpoons flew through the air, trailing chains. Icestorm roared furiously as she found herself trapped under a net of chains. She sank to the ground and began to struggle against them.

Gary started casting a pyroblast while Zaraia started shooting arcane missiles. Jessie's shadow magic swirled nearby, while James ran in, runeblade glowing brightly. Ash joined him quickly. Pikachu stayed back, shocking the undead dragon, while the absol and Meowth went around behind the creature to sabotage its joints.

"Holy crud! She's bigger than I thought!" the warrior commented as he hacked away at massive paws that came up to his hips. The frost wyrm growled and raised one massive claw and swiped at the fighters. James leapt backwards but not far enough – it tore his armor open and threw him back several yards. The claw just barely missed the warrior, only nicking his shoulder and tearing the metal there, and cutting a couple inches into his arm – a nasty wound, but light compared to what could have happened.

Misty stood back, casting judgements from afar and healing her allies. Kai and Starwisp stood at her side, wielding the special crossbows the 7th Legion men had given them – the bolts exploded on impact with the dragon, sometimes blasting chunks of bone out of shoulderblades or ribs. Vaporeon shot powerful jets of water from her mouth, wetting the joints of the frost dragon and letting them freeze together, slowing the creature's movement.

The constant stream of spells and bolts caused Icestorm to lift her head and glare at the attackers. She tried to rear up and spread her wings, but they were caught in chains, and her neck was held down. Even so she was able to aim a blast of ice at her foes. The crossbowmen ducked below their ledge, while the paladin blocked the blast with a bubble of light. Zaraia and Gary were able to keep from being hurt by putting up a similar bubble of mana, but the warlock had nothing protecting her. She took the force of the attack, sinking to her knees.

"Are you alright?" the death knight called over his shoulder, slamming his sword deep into the wrist of the wyrm.

"I'm okay…" Jessie muttered, pulling a healthstone out of a pocket. It burned up in a ball of green fire, and the warlock got back to her feet. Icestorm stomped violently, shaking the ground with such force that everyone was knocked off their feet. The fight resumed after a moment's pause. The fighters took blows from massive claws, the paladin struggled to heal her friends, the ranged attackers never let their assault end.

A chain snapped and a wing whipped out to its full length, smacking the paladin and sending her flying, tumbling across ice and snow. With a grunt, she healed herself and returned to the battle. Icestorm swayed back and forth, roaring and spouting ice as she tried to break her chains, tail whipping, free wing flapping. A frostfire bolt struck her in the lower jaw; an exploding crossbow bolt broke off part of her hip. Another breath of ice caused the crossbowmen to take cover. This time Jessie was able to avoid the attack, sheltering herself behind a rock. The wyrm swung its mighty tail, throwing Meowth violently into the snow. The cat pokemon got up and shook the snow from his fur and cloak, and rejoined the fight.

"Come on, we've almost got her down!" Zaraia called out. A crossbow bolt struck the neck of the beast. Icestorm tried to rear up again.

"Ash, James! Get out of the way!" Gary yelled. The two fighters scrambled to retreat as the dragon brought its claws down behind them.

"Stay back here," Starwisp added, "when she goes down we don't want you getting caught under her. Same goes for the pokemon!"

"Meowth, get back over here!" the warlock commanded. The cat pokemon turned to her from atop the dragon's hip.

"Easier said than done!"

Zaraia cast a slow fall spell on him as the absol returned to his master's side. "Just jump!"

The dragon stomped and the cat nearly fell down. He clung to a neural spine to avoid dropping down right under Icestorm's foot. A crossbow bolt exploded near him, and the dragon stopped trying to free herself; she again attacked with her icy breath. This gave the pokemon a chance to launch himself off the pelvis of the creature and float safely down.

A judgement spell dazed the monster for a moment. An arcane blast shattered one of the legs that had been fractured by repeated sword impacts. Icestorm fell to one side with a roar and was finished off by a shadowbolt. Several more crossbow bolts were fired at her to make sure she was dead. When the frost wyrm didn't move, the group erupted into cheers.

"We did it! We killed Icestorm!" the paladin exclaimed.

There were general congratulations and cheers as fighters high-fived one another and patted each other on the back. Gary walked over to the fallen dragon and crawled into the space at the front of her rib cage, picked up the jar, and crawled back out. "Here's the phylactery!"

"Good job, all of you!" Tyralion said, "Now go report back to Wyrmbane – he'll be prepared for the final showdown with Thel'zan. Good luck, and godspeed!"


	39. Demise of a Lich

The soldiers at the entrance to the crypt glared at the party as they entered. "What are you kids doing here? Go back to town where it's safe!"

"We're here as reinforcements," Jessie began to explain. A soldier cut her off.

"We don't need you. Some heroes are on their way to lead the assault."

"We _are_ those heroes," Gary said, with a sigh.

The soldier scoffed. "That's a good one! So little humor left out here on the battlefront! That's really a good one, a nice change from the norm."

"There you are," Bolvar said, walking out of the crypt, "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show up."

"I wouldn't miss this fight for my life," Misty stated, grinning. Fordragon smiled back at the group.

"Every good story has a beginning and an ending," the man said, "While your story is far from over, I'll be damned if it's not already turning out to be the stuff of legend! No matter what happens to us when this is all over, what you've done at Wintergarde will be a tale told for years to come. I'm proud of you, all of you. Your heroics will not be forgotten, and your names will be written in the history books for all time, no matter the outcome of this battle.

Now, if you're ready, we can use the phylactery to lure out Thel'zan."

"Oh, we're ready alright… We're _ready_," James said, a dark grin on his face. With that, the group followed Fordragon, embarrassed and baffled soldiers in tow, to the location where the 7th Legion Elites were in formation.

"Steel yourselves, soldiers. These heroes, young as they are, have provided us with the final piece of this puzzle. The dread lich, Thel'zan, will soon come out of hiding, only to be rendered powerless against us! It is this phylactery - Thel'zan's phylactery - that is the key to victory!"

A dark shadow began to take shape, piercing blue eyes materializing first – cold fire in the air. "I was once… like _you_. Mortal. Soft. Only flesh and bone. Weak and timid." The shadow solidified into a horrifying lich, wrapped in purple shreds and icy crystals. Chains floated around him and he almost seemed to radiate dark energy. The soldiers, including the young heroes, flinched and stepped back in horror – but they did not turn and run. Some were locked in place by fear, while others, showing their discipline, stood their ground, terrified though they were.

"Steady yourselves!" Fordragon called over his shoulder.

"Our dark Lord Arthas saw in me the frailty of man. 'Serve me in life and I will promise to rend the weakness from your soul - to erase it from existence!' he said. To be chosen... _blessed _by the Lich King in such a way, it was an honor. So serve him I did. Were it not for me, the glorious dead citadel of Naxxramas may never have returned to Northrend. Just as our lord saved me, so too shall I save you!"

"Honor, courage, compassion and justice! These were once the virtues you fought for as a cleric of the Argent Dawn, Thel'zan!" Bolvar said, "You dedicated your life to fighting the Scourge. You saw what they did to our beloved Lordaeron. The Lich King took everything from you! So how, then, did Father Inigo Montoy, bastion of virtue for the Argent Dawn, become the embodiment of that which he hated most?"

Thel'zan shrieked with rage at hearing his mortal name. "_**This will be the last time you ever utter that name, paladin! Breathe your dying breath! **_Rise, my minions, your master _commands_ it!"

At that, ghouls rose up from the ground around the brave heroes – the trainers responded with a summoned army of their own, releasing the pokemon. Fordragon himself was the first into action, followed by Gary. Bolvar smashed the phylactery – the lich cried out – and slammed his sword into the ground in the same way Misty had often done, and the flash of light resulting caused Thel'zan to shield his eyesockets with his bony hand. Fire sprung up from the ground, followed seamlessly by ice from the roof as the mage let his magic loose. Seeing their leaders enter combat, the 7th Legion and the adventurers joined the fray. Soldiers clashed with ghouls and the noise was amplified by the walls and ceiling of the crypt. Vaporeon, pikachu, and absol tore the undead pawns limb from limb. The mages and the warlock focused their magic on the lich himself. It was fire, arcane, and shadow pitted against ice. Thel'zan retaliated by blasting them all with frostbolts.

Misty replied to this with a blast of Holy Light, which was seconded by Fordragon. Starwisp, Kai, James, and Ash found themselves to be more useful fighting off the ghouls that endlessly surged at the casters. Ash acted as a bodyguard for the fragile arcanist as she channeled missiles of energy. James defended his old partner in crime with ferocity, grinning as he sliced through the hordes of Scourge. Kai and Starwisp kicked and punched the ghouls away from Gary, who was chain-casting pyroblasts. Aeroth wheeled about in the air, diving down on the ghouls. Thel'zan cast another frostbolt, this time at Bolvar, who was busy fending off a ghoul that had gotten past the soldiers and jumped onto his back. The icy spear missed his face by about half an inch, striking Meowth, who was fighting just behind the paladins. The cat flew a few feet before getting back up and continuing to fight, while avoiding being stepped on by the larger fighters in the area.

Nobody knew what was going on – it was chaos. Ice rained down from the ceiling, and the adventurers completely ignored it. A large shard wedged itself into Misty's armor.

"Ow! Gary, be a little more careful with your aim!"

"It wasn't me!" the mage replied, putting a frost resistance aura around himself before continuing his fire spells. Thel'zan laughed at the confusion he was causing. Groans of the dying echoed through the crypt as soldiers were impaled by ice or ripped apart by ghouls.

The warlock shot a bolt of fel-green fire at the lich and began to cast a shadowbolt to follow it up. Dark energy flowed around her just as ice swirled around the death knight. A ghoul leapt up to attack the caster, jumping past James, but his reaction time was quick; he turned to the side and sliced the ghoul cleanly in half with a single blow of his runeblade.

Vaporeon turned her sight to Thel'zan and pounced, intending to attack, but the lich whipped around and sent the pokemon flying. In retaliation, Meowth threw his dagger at the lich's head, embedding it in his skull. This threw Thel'zan off just long enough that Zaraia was able to get an arcane barrage off – the killing spell.

The ghouls stopped coming. The remaining undead were slain.

"Well done, everyone! Victory for the Alliance!" Fordragon cheered. He and Misty, as well as the handful of other paladins in the 7th Legion, set about healing everyone. The mages conjured food and water, and there was much rejoicing.

XXX

"Wait, _who did you say defeated Thel'zan?_ I mean, what was the name, did you say? No, not the humans, just the blood elf! …_**Zaraia? Zaraia Pentalon? She's alive?**_"


	40. Dragons, Portals, and the Lost

"Welcome to Fordragon Hold, heroes," Highlord Bolvar said. He pointed to the gigantic wall northwest of them. "That is Angrathar, the Wrathgate. Beyond that mighty saronite barrier is Icecrown. We've been assaulting the wall for quite some time now, but the Scourge have frost wyrms that have made it impossible so far to reach the gate itself. We've been trying to fight them off without destroying the skeletons – after all, these are the sacred bones of ancient dragons. We need Alexstrasza's permission if we are to actually damage them, and being able to do so would make it much easier to fight them off."

Kai nodded. "A wise choice, to get permission first."

"Then you agree to seek audience with her and ask her for it?"

"U-us?" the dark-skinned boy exclaimed, "Speak to Queen Alexstrasza? W-we hardly – we're not worthy of-"

"It would be an honor," Gary cut him off.

"Good. Before you go, though, I thought I should supply your warrior – and… cat… creature… with ranged weaponry. Frost wyrms aren't the only flying foes we're facing out here."

XXX

The gryphons flew toward Wyrmrest Temple, but encountered an unexpected problem – blue dragons. Azure beasts circled the temple, locked in combat with reds as snow fell around them. The cold temple with its golden pillars and snow-covered tiers was a perpetual battleground; the bodies of dragons and drakes, both red and blue, littered the ground around it. The gryphons braked midair and circled beyond the bounds of the conflict in uncertainty, making quiet, confused cawing noises.

"What the…" Starwisp muttered.

"What's going on there?" Kai asked, staring in confusion.

"Blues and reds at war? But- _No matter, that's not important right now,_" Gary stated, "We'll ask the Dragonqueen while we're up there." With that, the mage tugged at the gryphon's feathers lightly, then more roughly as it stubbornly refused. Finally, it cooperated with him and flew in between the fighting dragons. Luckily, they were too busy fighting and ignored the gryphons as the birds followed each other in, landing on the top tier of the temple.

"Greetings mortals, and young dragon," Alexstrasza said, staring at them unblinkingly, "What do you require? You obviously have some desperate need, to come here through that chaos outside."

The other four dragons – Krasus, the mate of the queen in guise of a high elf, a male green with the appearance of another high elf, a female bronze in the form of a gnome, and a female black in the guise of a human – looked at the young heroes silently. They had intruded on a meeting of some sort. Kai turned as bright a shade of red as was possible for his dark skin; he was in the _royal court of dragons_, being stared at, no less.

Their size (save for the gnome's) was unnerving, and even the unofficial diplomat of the team was rendered silent. The mage simply had no idea what he was supposed to say.

"Don't just stand there," the black dragoness said, irritated, "We haven't got all day. Say what it is you need to say."

For once, it was Jessie who spoke up. "Your Majesty, we've come here to seek your permission to destroy the bones of ancient dragons, in the form of frost wyrms."

The green dragon then told them, "The minor frost wyrms should be the least of your worries, mortals."

"You don't know what you're up against," the bronze added.

Queen Alexstrasza nodded. "They truly are a minor nuisance compared with what _could_ become. North of here is the resting place of Galakrond, progenitor of all of dragonkind. It is from him that the Titans created the Aspects. Imagine, then, the power of Galakrond. His size alone was greater than all of the Aspects combined! Now attempt to understand what the Scourge wish to do here in the Dragonblight…"

"We can't let that happen – _we'll stop them,_" James stated, matter-of-factly. Everyone else stared at him, pale-faced and wide-eyed.

"The bravery of mortals never fails to astound me. Death affixes its cold stare upon you and in return you rise to challenge its assertion! It is why your kind is so loved... and so hated…" Krasus said, "Anyway, we need all the help we can get. We'd very much appreciate the assistance. If you believe you can prevent the Scourge from raising Galakrond…"

The Queen finished the idea. "Atop the Wicked Coil, the Grand Necrolord of the Scourge, Antiok, sits upon the shoulders of the reconstructed storm giant lord, Thiassi. From there he controls the frost wyrms with his Scythe, and commands the armies of undead to work day and night to unearth Galakrond's massive bones. Should they succeed in raising Galakrond, all of your efforts will have been for naught. While I cannot call down the full fury of the Red Dragonflight to assist you in your journey, I will grant you my blessing. Even though the Red Dragonflight is entrenched in a war with Malygos, there is something that we can do to help…"

"Malygos?" Gary and Zaraia cried out in perfect unison.

"Is that why the blues out there are fighting you – the entire blueflight is at war with you?" Zaraia asked, incredulous.

"Yes," the bronze dragoness explained, "and Malygos has decided that the use of magic is corrupting the world. While this is slightly founded in logic, his solution is, by far, worse."

"He's directing the ley-lines of the world off their natural paths, causing magic oddness – rifts, monsters, warped realities…"

The shock set in; all five humans gasped. "_**The portals!**_"

"We've got to stop him!" Ash said, "It's the only way to keep the rifts between worlds from opening again!"

"You don't concern yourselves with that, mortals," the Dragonqueen said, "we'll handle that. You continue your fight against the scourge, and prevent the raising of Galakrond. Take six of my children to help you fight – ride them into combat. Your drake can serve as the mount for the seventh mortal member of your team.

XXX

Kai was glad to be back in his draconic form. He could hardly feel the fire mage's weight as his powerful wings carried him for what felt like the first time in months. The six red drakes that carried the other heroes followed in a V-formation. Ahead, they could see the awesome head and neck of Galakrond, unearthed and covered by a thin layer of snow. The skull alone was larger than the average warship.

Misty quickly performed a mental excavation, imagining the size of the entire body. Wings folded, it would easily dwarf Stormwind City – the paladin had trouble wrapping her mind around the concept of a creature that large. The Scourge were swarming around it; ghouls working tirelessly to dig the behemoth out of the ground.

The clash began. Dragonfire rained from the sky. The drakes swooped in low to the ground, scorching the ghouls with their flames as their riders did their best to aid them. Jessie and Gary again showed their natural skill at aerial combat, just as they had in Hellfire, so long ago. Fire and shadow struck down what the dragons did not. Zaraia's arcane spells backed them, with slightly less success. Individuals were struck by mighty hammers of Light and then purified in the scorching breath of the paladin's dragon. The death knight's icy spells contrasted sharply with the fiery creature he rode. Starwisp remained calm, but her aim was thrown off by the speed and height at which she was moving. Even so, she managed to defeat several of the ghouls. She was a much better shot than Ash, who was fairly useless, even with his new bow and arrows. Meowth, with a shortbow, standing boldly on the flank of Jessie's dragon, was a natural, though – a real sharpshooter from the air.

Kai shut his mouth after finishing a blast of fire and stopped to breathe for a moment, rising into the air, away from the rocks the ghouls were throwing at him. He glanced aside at a pillar of stone – there was the giant.

"Gary, over there!"

The mage looked over, then back at his allies. He needed at least one person to help him. The warrior was the closest. "Hey, Ash, could use a little help here! We've got a giant to kill! C'mon!"

The two drakes and their riders swooped in to attack the rotting giant. Thiassi raised a decomposing hand and tried to swat the dragons out of the sky, but they were too quick, circling around him with flames leaping from their jaws. They kept at this for a long time, until the giant crashed to the ground. The undead, bird-masked man on his shoulder leaped off.

"_**You think you've won, mortals? Face the unbridled power of Antiok!**_"

Kai and the red drake landed, and their riders dismounted. Ash charged, swords ready. He was thrown back by a blast of shadow. Gary retaliated with a pyroblast, and the dragons followed up with their own fiery vengeance. Antiok was engulfed by flames, but a dark shadow formed inside the inferno. Suddenly it burst, and streams of darkness slammed into the drakes, knocking them both backwards. The warrior was back on his feet, but Antiok didn't notice; he was too busy trying to kill the mage. He pointed the glowing blue scythe at Gary, unleashing black lightning. The mage put out his hand as though to block the attack, as a bubble of magic formed from before his palm and spread around him. The mage cast a frostfire bolt from inside his protective bubble, then remembered to put his bomb spell on the warlock.

Ash tried to attack again, slashing at the Scourge Necrolord. Antiok turned around and slammed the scythe into the warrior's chest, but didn't have room to bring it around in a slashing arc. Ash winced but did not relent – there was a lot of parrying between him and the warlock, but he eventually got past the scythe and stabbed the man in the chest.

Another pyroblast from the mage sent Antiok flying to the side. The warlock dropped the scythe and rolled across the ground. He lifted himself up onto his hands and knees, and turned his head toward the boys, glaring out from behind the cowl and bird-mask. He then looked up.

The two drakes were glaring down at him. He let out a scream as he was ripped limb from limb by the dragons and then burned. The drakes smirked and the two boys high fived one another, cheering.


	41. Wrathgate

"I knew you would return victorious. Your kind is known for its tenacity," said the Dragonqueen, "With Antiok slain and the scythe in our possession, the frost wyrm assaults upon your forces at Angrathar will halt. The wyrms that remain in the Dragonblight will be hunted and destroyed, their bones returning to the earth. The time to make your final stand is now, heroes. Return to Fordragon Hold and notify Highlord Fordragon. Good luck!"

XXX

"Know this: all that you have done has led to this moment. Without your efforts, we would have been finished! Now, stand guard as I take to the field and end this," Bolvar told the heroes.

"_Stand guard?_" Starwisp exclaimed incredulously, with a touch of anger. The Highlord smiled.

"We need someone skilled to stay back here and protect the Hold from any Scourge that come up here. Besides, we need you safe – such powerful heroes need to be reserved."

James sighed impatiently. "Alright. Good luck…"

Bolvar walked down to where the soldiers of the Alliance were waiting, before the wrathgate. The men and women began to cheer.

"Thank the Light!"

"For Lordaeron!"

The cheers were so loud that the heroes atop the cliff couldn't help but join the cheering. Misty in particular was ardent about her cries of "For the Alliance!"

The battle for the Wrathgate began. The Alliance soldiers charged into the group of undead that hung close to the saronite wall, and sounds of combat erupted, echoing off the cliffs and the barrier.

"_Back, you mindless wretches!_" Fordragon shouted, as he sliced a ghoul in half and shattered a skeleton with his shield. A woman stabbed a geist through the gut. Wraiths sucked the life out of an unfortunate draenei warrior. A dwarven man shot a plague eruptor in the shoulder, causing a pustule to burst. The same eruptor was lanced through the back with a spear of ice from a gnomish mage. Zombies fell around a draenei woman who used the earth itself to destroy them.

Suddenly the undead began to retreat, and the ground shook as the Wrathgate opened, like mighty jaws. A bellow erupted from within, amplified by the surroundings, unmistakably in vrykul. Frost vrykul marched out of the gates.

"_Fight on, brothers and sisters!_" Bolvar urged his people. One of the giants killed four alliance soldiers with a single blow. Two vrykul fell to a night elf druid, who had turned into a bear.

A brown orc raised his axe to rally the Horde as they watched the conflict. "_Rise up, sons and daughters of the Horde! Blood and glory await us!_"

An orcish cry and the sound of the Horde's warhorn caused the heroes on the cliff, and Bolvar, to turn for a moment and look. Raptors, kodos, and wolves swarmed the area. "_Lok'tar ogar! For the Horde!_"

Zaraia cheered. "_For the Horde!_"

Saurfang the Younger and Highlord Bolvar exchanged words as they fought the vrykul.

"I was wondering if you'd show up!" the paladin said.

"I couldn't let the Alliance have _all_ the fun today!" the orc replied, slashing through three of the vrykul with a single stroke of his axe.

The battle raged on. A troll was torn in half, her last cry calling the attention of a tauren with a crossbow, who shot at the vrykul. A human and an orc stood back to back as they fought off the giants.

When, at last, the battle ended, Fordragon and Saurfang approached the sealed gate. The heroes atop the cliff held their breath.

"_**Arthas!**__ The blood of your father, of your people, demands justice! Come forth, coward, and answer for your crimes!_" the Highlord challenged. Saurfang the Younger growled under his breath as the gate rumbled and opened.

A figure stepped out of the shadows, eyes and sword glowing blue. James, atop the cliff, snarled in recognition, growling like a feral beast. "Arthas…"

The Lich King walked down the steps to stand before the armies. "_You speak of justice? Of cowardice? I will show you the justice of the __**grave**__,"_ he said, as yet more undead crawled up out of the ground, _" and the true meaning… of __**fear.**_"

Dranosh Saurfang snapped at this point, rushing forward with a mighty roar. "Enough talk! Let it be finished!" He swung his axe at Arthas, but the Lich King brought down Frostmourne – right through the axe, killing Dranosh. He lowered the blade and it drained the orc's soul.

Everyone gasped. Every eye was wide. And then the fury came. Boiling anger, from every living being.

"_You will pay…____for __**all**__ the lives you've __**stolen**__, __**traitor!**_" Bolvar growled.

"_Boldly stated. But there is nothing you can-_"

A gigantic explosion sounded from behind Bolvar. Everyone turned to look, living and undead alike. A giant, green mushroom cloud floated up, accompanied by screams.

The heroes on the cliff stared in shock. "What the?"

Laughter erupted from the cliff opposite theirs. Putress, the forsaken Grand Apothecary, stood at the edge. All eyes were focused on him, hiding behind his bird mask. "Ahhahaha…. _Did… you… think… we… had for-__**gotten**__? Did you __**think**__…we… had… for-__**given**__?_"

Catapults, designed to look like skulls on wheels, loaded with green barrels, pulled up to the front, just behind Putress.

"**Behold, now, the **_**terrible**_** vengeance… of the **_**Forsaken!**_"

Arthas stared up at him, uttering only one word: "_Sylvanas…_"

The catapults fired, launching a myriad of barrels into the midst of the armies, indiscriminately aiming at Scourge, Alliance, and Horde alike.

"_**Death to the Scourge! And death**__** to the living!**_"

The cloud rushed down from the gate, out toward central Dragonblight.

"_**Fall back!**_" Fordragon yelled. People were screaming and coughing and crying as they were torn apart from within. Some of them literally boiled and melted alive. Soldiers fled, running for their lives, but the cloud was too fast for the majority of them, including Bolvar. Abandoned horses and wolves were surrounded by clouds and died horrible deaths. People collapsed and died left and right. The fallen attempted to drag themselves away only to succumb to the plague clouds moments later. Even Arthas fell to his knees, coughing. He growled furiously and forced himself to his feet, retreating to the Wrathgate.

"_This… isn't… over…!_" The gates slammed shut behind him. Putress just laughed.

"Now… _all_ can see… _this_… is the hour… of the Forsaken!"

Fordragon was the last living thing on the field. He collapsed, his vision fogging even more than would be caused by the clouds in the air. He coughed and tried desperately to breathe. He could hear his own heart struggling to beat. _We're finished…_ he thought, _No escape…No way out… For any of us…_ He looked up at the cliff where the eight adventurers stood. _Glad… I left them there… Maybe… they can… escape…_ His brain wasn't functioning normally. He had to struggle to think. He looked over toward Wyrmrest Temple. His hearing had gone out at that point. Faintly, he saw approaching creatures – flying, slowly. He didn't have a chance to register the approach of the dragons, for at this point he dropped his head and let out a death rattle.

The red dragons flew overhead, wings swooshing over the shocked heroes, breathing fire over the Forsaken plague wagons, purifying the clouds with their breath.

Every one of the eight heroes stared blankly in utter shock, their minds unable to comprehend the massive loss of life, the sudden betrayal, the _complete devastation_.

"Oh… my… God…" the warlock whispered. Gary opened his mouth to respond to her, but was utterly speechless. Nobody's eyes moved – they were all fixed on the scene of miniature apocalypse below, still smoldering as the dragons flew away.

"What… just _happened…?_" Ash whispered. His eyes were wide, his face pale, like everyone else. Zaraia, not turning her face away from the scene of horror, moved slowly toward him, and he put his arms around her, not only to comfort her, but to comfort himself.

"They… they're all dead…" Misty said, the expression of shock still spread over her face. The fire mage took her hand in his, for the same reason Ash had embraced Zaraia.

"I… can't believe this could happen…" Kai muttered.

They stared, for a long time, at the charred ground, where skeletons and bits of armor lay scattered, where small flames burned quietly.

"And to think… we could have been down there…" James whispered, his face displaying the most expression it had shown since before his death.

Even Meowth was utterly unable to wrap his mind around what had occurred there.

"We need to avenge them…" the night elf muttered.

The shock sank in. Zaraia began to cry. Misty bit her lip as well. Even Gary seemed jarred to the point of being near tears. James sank to his knees, staring into space. Jessie started to quiver. Meowth kept looking back and forth from his paws to the destroyed area near the Wrathgate, as though checking to make sure it was all real.

Wings flapped in the distance. A pair of red dragons flew in and landed. Plants and flowers sprung up at their feet as they sat amongst the devastated battleground. The larger of the two was unmistakably Alexstrasza. The smaller was Krasus – or Korialstrasz, his draconic name.

"_Come here, children…_" the Dragonqueen whispered soothingly. Still slightly in shock, the survivors went to her. Her calming aura helped them to cope with the horror of it all. She folded her massive wings around them, creating a sort of gigantic tent that served as a reassuring embrace. "_There, there… It's alright… Life will begin anew here… No need to despair, mortals… It's alright…_"


	42. Thrall

"Some are more tied to fate than others," Alexstrasza said, "and it was Bolvar's fate to die here. All that you can do now is honor your hero, children Collect Bolvar's shield from the field of battle and return it to your king. When you present the shield to Varian, tell him this: 'All is not lost. From the ashes of the fallen will rise a force that will unite nations and purge the evil from this world.' He mustn't lose faith. Go now, mortal children – your people need heroes. They need _you._"

Still shaken and hurting, the eight adventurers collected themselves and relegated their grief to the back of their minds.

"Come on," Gary said, voice thick with sorrow, "Let's find the shield and head to Wintergarde one last time before I take us to Stormwind."

They searched around a bit, until finally, the paladin located Fordragon's shield. She got down on her knees and picked up the sooty guard, blue and gold, with the symbols of the Alliance on it. She ran a hand delicately, reverently, along it, wiping away soot and dried blood. A teardrop fell on the shield, landing on the eye of the golden lion, and running down it from there, as though the great cat of the Alliance were crying. Misty wiped that away as well. She then got to her feet.

The group rode solemnly through the Dragonblight. The attitude slowly shifted from grieving and dark to angry and determined. They weren't going to let the Forsaken get away with what they had done. The Scourge would have to wait.

Back in town, Gary went reagent shopping, gathering components for spells, including the all-important portal runes. Meanwhile, Ash was searching for something else. After a while, he returned to the inn where everyone else was gathered, and handed a beautiful purple cowl, the color of the blood elf's robe, embroidered with blue designs around the edges, to Zaraia.

"Here. Wear this, and keep it as low over your eyes as you can – if nobody sees they're green, you'll be able to pass yourself off as a high elf."

"Can't we just leave her here in Northrend?" Starwisp asked, disdainful as ever.

"_**No! **_Stop being such a racist, Starwisp! I'm really getting sick of you two fighting and insulting each other!" Ash snapped.

"Alright, alright…"

XXX

"Ahh, good ol' Stormwind City!" Gary said, with a grin, remembering the time when he first brought Ash and Misty to the great human city. The group walked on foot, mostly because Zaraia didn't have a mount besides her hawkstrider, which would draw far too much attention. The young elf looked around in awe – it was her first time in a major human city. Ash shoved her shoulder, gently but urgently.

"Keep your head down," he whispered, "or they'll see your eyes!"

"Oh, right." The girl lowered her head.

Eventually, they came to Stormwind Keep. The guards lowered their halberds.

"State your names and business," one said.

"We have news from Northrend," the fire mage began, "for King Varian. We are a party of adventurers: Gary, Misty, Ash, Starw-"

The second guard laughed. "Nice try kid! I know those names. Don't try to pass yourselves off as famous heroes. You'll get caught every time."

The first guard also laughed. "Yeah. The mages can summon and control dragons, the death knight was Arthas' right-hand-man, the warlock once imprisoned Illidan Stormrage, the huntress can shoot an arrow through twelve axe-handles – whatever that means – from forty yards away, the warrior -"

"- was the man who cut down Teldrassil and he's twelve feet tall," Gary finished the statement sarcastically, "People rarely live up to the overblown rumors that wash over the towns. Although, I must say I'm quite honored to have such rumors circulating about us."

The guards looked at each other. "Get lost, kids. You're not funny anymore."

The group collectively sighed. "Guess we'll need to go fetch someone important to confirm our identities," Misty mumbled, "I'll go grab someone from the Cathedral of Light. Be right back…"

A few minutes later, the girl returned with none other than Katherine the Pure, the woman who'd trained her. The guards seemed startled at Katherine's appearance – she was a very well-respected paladin of Stormwind, and her word carried a great deal of weight.

"As this girl's trainer, I can confirm her identity – she is indeed Misty, and I remember teaching her the ways of the Light back when she was new to the blade." This sort of thing carried on for a couple minutes, before Lady Katherine was able to convince the guards to let the young heroes past. They thanked her and she simply smiled at them and waved as she started off back toward the Cathedral of Light. "It was the least I could do – I'm sure your matters are urgent."

The adventurers walked up the great white stone halls, where blue carpets ran along the corridors, until they came to a large circular room with a massive throne flanked by golden lions. In this throne sat the King of Stormwind, his long, dark hair framing his harsh face. A look of surprise spread across his face as the adventurers approached. He hadn't been expecting visitors. The royal guard kept a careful eye on the eight newcomers, but the Prince seemed only curious. He was no more than a year younger than the teenage humans from Kanto, and was startled to see people his own age in the throne room.

"Welcome," King Varian said, one eyebrow raised, "who are you, and what business have you that brings you here to speak to me?"

The adventurers dropped to their knees, bowing their heads.

"We are adventurers," James stated, "though apparently we don't quite live up to the guards' expectations. We were the ones who helped out with the Wintergarde issue in northrend – you may have heard of us."

"Indeed I have! Stand," commanded Varian. After a pause, he continued, "I was expecting you to be…"

"Older?" Gary suggested.

"Well, yes. No matter. What brings you here?"

Unnoticed, the Prince's face twisted into a perplexed expression. Didn't that group of adventurers have a blood elf? Some of the rumors had said they'd had two night elves, some had identified her as a high elf – as she supposedly was, some didn't specify her type, but a lot of them said that she was of the Horde. A blood elf couldn't possibly be in Stormwind, could it? Then again, there was always Valeera, but though she had turned on the Horde, the people of Stormwind were still hardly welcoming, so she was almost never around. He looked at Zaraia, curious. He couldn't see her eyes. Well, it didn't matter, given that she was a hero. Anduin was wise enough to keep his mouth shut and not voice his suspicions – his father would likely slay her on the spot if she really was of the Horde and he found out about it. Ash glanced over, and noticed the Prince staring at the elf. Reacting instinctively, without consciously realizing who he was dealing with, he shot the boy a warning glare, ever so slight, for just a moment. Immediately he realized his error and did not even look at the Prince again. Luckily, nobody noticed.

"We bear bad news," Misty said, walking to the King and pulling the shield out of the storage plane. An expression of anguish twisted across Varian's face when he recognized it. "I… am sorry…"

"What happened? The Scourge finally got him?"

"No," Jessie answered, "the Forsaken did."

"_What? Filthy Horde savages!_"

Zaraia's head whipped up but she caught herself just in time, lowering her head just enough to keep her eyes hidden. "To be fair," she said, but the King cut her off.

"There is no fairness when the Horde is involved! We will wipe their evil from the planet!" He gritted his teeth and clenched his hand into a fist.

"Father," Anduin said, "let her speak – maybe we don't know the whole story. If anything we'll learn the details of the betrayal…"

The King considered his son's words. He sighed, sinking deeply into his throne and putting a hand on his forehead. "Very well… Go on…"

The blood elf spoke right away. "The Forsaken were operating on their own. The Horde suffered as many losses as the Alliance, including a leader of status equivalent to Fordragon. I saw it. We all did."

There was a flash of light. Jaina Proudmoore had teleported in. "The elf girl is right. The Horde is just as angry as we are. Thrall is mourning as much as you. He-"

"Jaina," Varian said, sternly but calmly, "I do not wish to hear any more about your precious orc."

The powerful mage looked vaguely offended and indignant, if only for a moment. "My King, this is _important!_ They were betrayed too! We _must_ make some kind of truce with them to fix this before the Forsaken kill all of us!"

Varian sighed. "Alright… Adventurers, go with Jaina to speak with the leaders of the Horde…"

"Thank you, my King." Proudmoore opened a portal to Orgrimmar and the group followed her through.

XXX

Thrall raised his eyebrows in a puzzled expression for a moment when the portal opened. He sighed with relief as Jaina stepped out, then his eyebrows went up again as the eight adventurers followed her. Paying it no mind, he stood.

"Jaina… I am glad to see you. The Horde does not want war, and of all people you're the one I needed to see most."

The great mage nodded. "We must hurry to come to an understanding, quickly, before Varian loses his patience and his temper. Otherwise, this… flimsy excuse for 'peace' could be completely shattered. After all we've worked for to bring unity to our nations…"

Sylvanas glared at them both. "And what am I, chopped liver? _I lost my city._"

"Oh no," Zaraia whimpered, pulling back her hood. Jaina looked surprised for a moment to see that one of the young ones in her company was of the Horde, but didn't mind. "They took the undercity?"

"_One at a time!_" Thrall said, trying to bring order to the conversation that was quickly degenerating into chaos, "Every one of us here is missing some of the information, and nearly every one of us is missing a _different_ piece of that information! Now, let's start from the beginning, or none of this will make any sense to anyone!"

Everyone nodded in agreement with the warchief.

"I think we should start with the eyewitness accounts," Jaina offered, pointing her hand in the general direction of the adventurers.

"The Alliance was fighting the Scourge, when the Horde came to our aid," Starwisp began.

"Saurfang the Younger was leading them. It came down to a two-on-one confrontation with the Lich King," Zaraia continued.

"And then Saurfang charged," Ash added, "and Arthas killed him… and then- … then-" he couldn't find the words for it. The group collectively choked on their words for a moment.

"Plague clouds," James stated plainly.

"The Forsaken killed everyone…" Misty whispered.

"Some guy with a bird-hat," Kai added, "went on about the 'hour of the forsaken'."

Sylvanas muttered something in gutterspeak that caused James to twitch – whatever she was saying, it was _not_ nice. Suddenly she threw back her head and snarled toward the heavens. "_Putress! Damn him, that traitor!_"

"So the Forsaken were not acting on your orders? As we suspected – though Varian wouldn't listen," Jaina said.

The undead elf just repeated herself flatly, glaring at Jaina. "_They took my city._"

Thrall finally had the whole story pieced together. He cleared his throat. "I believe we all have the whole story now, and if I understand correctly, it is that Putress led a band of extremist Forsaken and turned against both the Horde and the Alliance, and then chased Sylvanas out of her city." There was a murmur of agreement and confirmation.

"Both sides have lost great heroes," the paladin said.

"And both sides are hurting," Thrall answered. "Tell your king that we will do everything in our power to bring the perpetrators of this cowardly act to justice. We will do all that we can to avoid conflict with the Alliance, but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves if provoked."

Jaina nodded. "Shall we also aid in the retaking of the Undercity?"

"While I have faith in you and these adventurers, I have my doubts about Varian," the orc replied, "If you think he can handle it, I would very much like to have his support in this; he's a good fighter."


	43. Battle For Undercity

"They have lost the Undercity? Then the time to strike is now. We will deal with Putress ourselves and retake the Ruins of Lordaeron for the Alliance!"

"No, my King, please," Jaina begged, immediately regretting giving him the entire story, "it's their city now. It belongs to Sylvanas, not the Alliance. Besides, it's in ruins! It would take far more effort than it's worth to repair it to its former glory."

Zaraia nodded. "The Forsaken have a special reverence for their city. Since that's where Arthas-" she trailed off. "It's a city marked by tragedy. They believe the upper chambers should be left alone."

"I don't care what those damn undead believe; they're all monsters-"

James cleared his throat. "Not to be rude, Your Majesty, but you're in the presence of one of 'those damn undead'. I am a death knight, not so different from the Forsaken…"

"And they've got nowhere else to go," Misty said, "The humans had Stormwind when Lordaeron was destroyed. The Forsaken have nothing."

"Please, Varian," Proudmoore begged, "Just help us get rid of Putress and then _leave them alone_. The Horde doesn't want war. Do you? It's unnecessary, and after all Thrall and I have worked for…"

"For what, Jaina? _There is no peace. We're already at war,_" the King snapped.

James spoke calmly, in a very cold tone that commanded attention. "I believe that's exactly what Arthas wants." All eyes were on the death knight. "What easier way to get rid of your enemies than to make them kill each other? If the Lich King sees that the Horde and the Alliance are fighting against one another…"

There was only dead silence.

Finally, Varian sighed. "Very well," he grunted, "Valeera and Broll are waiting outside the city. We shall join them."

XXX

A letter arrived in Wintergarde, addressed to Zaraia Pentalon. Unfortunately, the young mage was already long gone…

XXX

The great night elf with green hair and long antlers stared at the young adventurers. "Who are you supposed to be? My King, didn't you say you'd be bringing heroes?"

Jaina answered for him: "They may not look like it, but they're heroes and I'm sure you've heard of them. Their names are Gary, Misty, Ash, Starwisp, Jessie, James, Zaraia, and Kai."

"_You're joking!_" the elf replied in startled disbelief.

"Are we really that well known? We're not _that_ great," Ash said.

"I've heard one of them is a blood elf," Valeera said, causing Varian to raise his eyebrows, "is this true?"

Zaraia put her hood down. Ash bit his lip, but it was too late to do anything. His hands went to his swords, in case Varian did something. _It's okay, he's friends with Valeera; why would he hurt Zaraia?_ The young blood elf looked at Valeera. "It's true."

Varian snorted. "Horde." Valeera glared at him, and he nodded, saying no more on the subject. He then turned to the stormwind soldiers in the area. "Heroes of the Alliance," he yelled, "your King calls! Gather behind me at the entrance to the Undercity. Hidden inside this defiled city is the wretch responsible for murdering our brothers and sisters at the Wrathgate. He must be brought to justice!"

The soldiers burst into an uproar of angry agreement.

"Prepare yourselves, sons and daughters of the Alliance – the march on Undercity begins now! Be empowered by your King's leadership! _Follow me, heroes! __**For the glory of the Alliance!**_"

The soldiers – including every one of the eight heroes excluding James and Zaraia – all echoed the last line. They then began to move. As they approached the sewer entrance, the smell was awful, but everyone was too adrenaline-pumped to really care. The thrill and horror of the battle awaited.

"_Onward, brothers and sisters! Destiny awaits!_ Jaina, lend us your strength!"

"Right away, Your Majesty!"

Everyone felt stronger as her spell took effect. Gary's eyes glittered with admiration and respect as hope and heroism swelled in his heart, as they did in every heart. Suddenly, Forsaken traitors came rushing down the sewer tunnel, wearing masks and holding vials of green liquid. The young mage pointed ahead as he showed everyone why he was the leader of his party: "_Hold your ground! Don't let them push you back! Fight, for all you're worth! For the Alliance!_"

The Forsaken and the Alliance clashed. Weak plague clouds opened up as the vials were smashed – everyone began to cough, but they kept fighting. With the powers lent to them by Jaina and inspiration in their hearts, the soldiers and heroes plowed through their opponents; nothing would stand in the way of their might.

Except the blight worm.

A huge, slimy bug burst up from a pool of green liquid, hissing and clacking its fanged beak and waving its claws. The paladin faltered for a moment, gasping as her phobia caused her to lock up for a brief moment, but then forced herself to continue the struggle – fear was no longer an obstacle for one who had been fighting for as long as her.

A hammer of light struck the worm, and it hissed and waved around before lunging at the girl. A soldier tackled the head as the paladin was barely able to dodge the attack. The blight worm turned and spat acid at the soldiers, narrowly missing Jaina and Varian. It then snapped its jaws shut on Broll, who turned into a cat, but too late. His claws sliced the worm apart even as the teeth sunk into his body. The area was lit up with electric light as pikachu joined the fray. The worm let go of the night elf, who dropped to the ground and retreated to regain his composure.

Fireballs and shadowbolts struck the massive creature with great force, causing it to retreat underground. The tunnel shook as the beast carved its way to a new attacking point. It then burst forth and spewed blight over the soldiers. The death knight was caught in it, along with Valeera and the absol. They cried out, and Misty worked as fast as she could to heal them. The worm turned and stared straight at her ominously. It then opened its jaws and spat a stream of blight at the paladin!

Vaporeon leapt out in front of her master, opened her mouth, and responded with an equally powerful blast of water. Water and blight met in a powerful struggle of super-pressured jets. Gary began casting a pyroblast, praying that the pokemon would be able to hold back the worm long enough for him to finish his spell.

As he did so, the constant barrage of swords, arrows, and spells was unrelentingly battering the worm. Meowth was sabotaging its defenses by cutting its plates off with his dagger, bravely clinging to the monster's back. Aeroth wheeled about above, diving in and striking with his claws.

The pyroblast hit its mark and proved to be the decisive blow. The worm flailed and roared. Meowth jumped off just in time as the beast collapsed. The paladin finished healing everyone of the blight, and the entire raiding party stopped for a moment to recover. Just a moment, though, because soon Varian yelled "Your abberations are no match for the Alliance, Putress! We're coming for you!"

Finally, the Alliance forces found their way out of the sewer and into the actual Undercity – the great ring shaped hall with channels of green goo. There was a gigantic demon lying dead on the ground, the doomlord's massive wings spread out over the corpses of several orcs, forsaken, and elves.

"What happened here?" Jaina muttered, even though she knew very well what had occurred, and put her hand over her mouth and nose, like several others. "There are corpses everywhere – the stench is… overwhelming…"

"I'd say this was a small loss for the Horde, given that they were able to take down a doomlord. They must be here in force, somewhere. Take your hands off your noses – you can't fight the Forsaken and the smell at the same time. Onward."

Putress' voice rang through the halls: "Do not let them pass, minions! _Kill them! My work must not be interrupted!_"

The ground shook as a large abomination lumbered forth. Gary couldn't help but grin. "Think back to our first fight together, Ash, Misty! Remember that?"

The other two smirked and nodded. "Just like old times," the warrior answered.

"Let's see if I can pull off the stitching-slice stunt again," Misty said, trying to get behind the abomination.

A shadowbolt slammed into the monster. "I have no idea what you twerps are talking about," the warlock said, "but I'm happy to help out."

"I take it your daggers came in handy, then?" Starwisp asked, winking, as she fired off two arrows at once. The abomination roared and swung its chains at the adventurers, striking the fire mage, but he didn't back down.

Vaporeon harassed the undead with blasts of water as the soldiers of the alliance swarmed it. The paladin's blade sliced the arm of the abomination, loosening it.

Unfortunately, more abominations came. Jaina and Zaraia were blasting everything in sight with arcane power. The soldiers and Varian were slashing wildly in their struggle for survival. Absol was shredding the feet of the monsters around him, aided by the cat that was Broll.

The death knight's icy wind chilled everything around him, while the mage and warlock's attacks blasted the Undercity with fire, causing wildly fluctuating temperatures. Yellow, purple, red, blue – the colors of magic flashed vividly, glinting off the green liquid in the channels, casting long shadows behind pillars. The closed quarters caused the clashes of swords and the roars of monsters to echo loudly.

Valeera darted about, mimicking Misty's technique of sabotaging the weak points on the constructs. Kai helped to defend the rogue, finding himself a target quite frequently.

Eventually, a final consecration of the ground brought down the last abominations. The Alliance forces stopped for a moment outside the hall to the Apothecary's chamber, panting. Jaina and Gary conjured food and water, and everyone stopped to regain their strength and wipe the sweat from their brows. Finally, Varian called for everyone to move again, pointing his sword into the hall.

"This way, everyone – Putress' end draws nigh!"

The group continued, passing a huge pool of goo, from which a large, stitched-together _thing_ resembling a stomach protruded, held up by enormous straps, spewing green liquid at times. The forces of the Alliance stretched out into a narrow line as they passed the object along a thin bridge. The smell was awful.

A dreadlord charged forth, and the soldiers faltered for a moment.

"No!" The death knight yelled, "We've come this far; don't you dare turn back now!"

"Will you let the deaths of those at the Wrathgate be in vain?" Gary shouted.

"Hold your ground," Varian commanded, "We _must hold our ground!_"

The soldiers had great difficulty in fighting on their narrow ramp, and the casters were limited as well. They pushed and shoved their way to the back, retreating so that they could spread out and fire from a distance. Jaina and Zaraia stood on either side, while the center was taken by Gary and Jessie. All four of them stood along the edge of the pit of slime, their spells lighting up the chamber. Starwisp joined them in the back and stood next to Jaina, firing her arrows upwards so they could arc back down onto the demon.

"Aeroth, carry Pikachu on your back so it can attack!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Starwisp?" Ash cried out, half protesting.

"We have no choice!" The bird picked up the electric pokemon, which climbed onto his back as he took off. Aeroth circled around above the demon – now demons, as more came from the small tunnel. Pikachu clung to the feathers of the great owl while trying to strike the demons with thunderbolts. One of the demons who couldn't get to the soldiers snarled and struck at the bird, slicing his chest. Aeroth shrieked and careened into the corner of the pit, just barely high enough to slide over the edge and land on the ground. The pokemon nearly fell into the slime, but caught the edge of the pit and pulled himself up.

In perfect unison, their masters cried out: "Pikachu!" "Aeroth!"

The pokemon got up and shook himself, before trying to shock the demons from the other side of the pool. The bird, however, didn't move. The huntress glanced back and forth between her pet and her foe, in a panic. She let out a scream of rage and began to fire arrows at two, three times the normal rate. Her cry animated the soldiers and they began to fight harder. The demons collapsed, one by one, and the night elf dropped her bow and rushed over to the bird.

Starwisp knelt by the owl and picked up the limp form. "Aeroth!" The bird squawked weakly, and the night elf burst into tears of relief, clutching her pet close to her chest. Her hands began to glow green and she winced as she transferred some of her own strength into her pet. The paladin walked over and healed the owl. He stretched his wings and then folded them again, while his master hugged him.

"Come on," Varian said, "Now is not the time for sentimentality. We must press on, before Putress gets a chance to escape or draw more reinforcements."

Starwisp nodded and stood, letting her bird step onto her shoulder. "Right."

The Alliance forces began to march again, into a horrible lab. There were parts of bodies everywhere, some of them still twitching. Half built abominations hung from chains and lay on tables. Cylindrical tubes full of slime rose up here and there, and wires hung from the ceiling, sparking electricity.

Varian pointed his sword at Putress. "There's nowhere to run, monster!"

The Grand Apothecary grinned under his mask. "Stare into the abyss, and watch as it blackens your souls! You are no match for my creations!" With that, Putress grabbed a nearby axe and slammed it into one of the tubes. The glass shattered and red goo oozed out, forming blobs. "_Attack!_"

The blobs surged toward the soldiers, who didn't have a clue what to do. Gary, Zaraia, and Jaina immediately cast a rain of ice, trying to freeze the failed experiments. James joined in with his own frost spells. The others began to dodge the falling ice and try to shatter the frozen oozes.

"No! This cannot be happening!" Putress cried out, picking up a barrel of unfinished plague and throwing it from the ledge he'd climbed onto. "It won't end this way! I've worked too hard! Not after all this!"

An arrow narrowly missed his head. Lightning sparked all over the place from the electric pokemon. Blasts of water and shadow magic randomly blasted his creations. Swords shattered ice. The Grand Apothecary threw another barrel of plague, but he was too late. He had to join the fight himself. "I-I must! I will consume more energy, I-" He babbled as he jumped down from his ledge and grabbed a potion, slipping it under the bird mask and draining it. "The power! It washes through me! I see… _everything!_" He cackled madly. "More suffering awaits!"

Purple light cast long shadows as Jessie summoned a demon. "Brylith, aid me!"

"As you command, master!" the succubus replied, brandishing her whip.

"This ends here, fiend," Varian said, charging at Putress. The undead picked up a piece of metal and used it like a staff, blocking the King's swords. The soldiers charged and tried to aid the king, but Putress was desperate to survive. He slammed the makeshift staff into a large tube of plague. The soldiers began to cough and choke. Varian was forced backwards.

"Burn the clouds like the dragons did!" Gary ordered, starting to set fire to the clouds. Jaina, Zaraia, and Jessie nodded and joined him. Vaporeon used her water attacks to help anyone who was caught in the fire – only the clouds were to be burned.

"Keep fighting!" Ash yelled, rushing through the flames to try to get to Putress. Some of the soldiers fell back, trying to escape the inferno, and the warrior took their place. Moonfire repeatedly struck the Grand Apothecary as Broll did his best from a distance. Meowth climbed up onto a ledge and fired arrows at Putress, as Starwisp did the same. Brylith did the best she could do from a distance, snapping her whip. Aeroth flew around, diving down to attack Putress now and then.

"Why won't he die?" the paladin asked, standing back with the casters and healing everyone.

"Just keep going; anything that can be struck with sword or spell can be killed," Gary assured her.

"Not necessarily so," James muttered, casting a frost spell at Putress.

"Shush," Jaina told him, "you're not helping anyone's morale."

The plague clouds were burnt away but the flames kept licking about on the ground and tables.

"No, no!" Putress cried, "this- I'm unstoppable!" He tried to break another plague tube, but moving to do so opened him up for an attack. Varian brought a sword down on his neck, beheading the traitor.

"And justice is served."

From somewhere else, Thrall's voice called out: "Mog Osh'kazil gul'rok il mog Ro'th zaga maza! _Lok'tar!_"

Varian's eyes narrowed. "Thrall…" He began marching in the direction the voice had been coming from.

"My King, no!" the paladin cried out. She knew where this was going.

"Varian, wait!" Jaina pleaded.

There were footsteps approaching. Thrall, Sylvanas, and several orcs came into view.

"Thrall…" Varian growled, "I've waited too long for this. Every time I was thrown into one of your damned arenas, every time I killed a green-skinned aberration like you, I could think of only one thing… What our world could be without you and your twisted Horde…"

"The Horde does not want war, Varian," Thrall said, reaching toward his weapon. He knew words were useless with this man.

"Rubbish," the King of Stormwind replied, and suddenly lunged at the warchief. Zaraia threw herself in front of him, though her small body would do little good in protecting the orc.

"For the Horde!" she cried out, as Varian's sword struck her. She slumped to the ground, bleeding.

"_**Zaraia!**_" Ash yelped, rushing to her side. Misty also ran over, to heal the girl.

Varian's eyes widened and then narrowed. He hadn't meant to strike a young girl, but it was her fault for jumping out in front of him. He glanced at the others. Valeera and Jaina were glaring at him. The soldiers of the Alliance no longer seemed to be completely on his side.

The young blood elf had accomplished her goal – to make it clear that the Horde was not a bunch of heartless monsters. She coughed up blood as Misty healed the deep gash in her side.

"That was hardly necessary," Thrall told the King.

"It was not my fault the girl jumped out like that," Varian growled, but some of his aggression had been killed by the event.

"Had you not recklessly decided to attack me, she wouldn't have needed to."

"He's right, Varian," Jaina said, giving her king a bitter look as she walked out to where the two adventurers were caring for the blood elf. She knelt to aid them and helped Zaraia to her feet. "You need to stop being so brash and putting your own predjudices before the good of the Alliance."

The King looked like he'd been slapped in the face. Had anyone else but Jaina uttered those words, they would have been thrown into a prison cell.

"If you continue to lash out mindlessly against the Horde," James warned, "it will come back to haunt you. Don't you recall a _word_ I said? This kind of fighting is just what the Lich King wants."

"James, mind your words!" Jessie hissed, shoving the death knight lightly.

"I am only speaking the truth," he replied.

"Yeah, but you gotta be careful what you say to the King! Talking like dat could get you in real trouble," Meowth said. The pokemon turned to Varian. "But he's right about needing to unite against the Scourge. We've got a common enemy and neither side can win without the other!"

Varian sighed and stepped back, putting his weapons away. "Very well," he said, somewhat bitterly, "there will be peace. _For now._"

"_Thank you_," Jaina said, with a sigh.


	44. The Grizzly Hills

The following morning, the group stepped through the portal to Northrend that Jaina had made for them, and found themselves in a beautiful pine forest, not unlike the Howling Fjord, but much more lush – greener and healthier. Eagles flew through the air, chittering. Somewhere, a hawk let out a majestic cry. Each member of the group gazed around at the tall trees around them, the sunlight filtering in through the branches and bathing the world in the golden glow of the morning.

"It's beautiful!" the warlock whispered, awe-struck.

"Where are we?" Ash asked, also trying to take it all in.

Starwisp inhaled deeply; the scent of pine needles and flowers in the crisp morning air washing through her. "Grizzly Hills. Can't be anywhere else, with those birds and these trees."

Gary stretched and looked around with a smile. "Wow. It's so calm here…"

In fact, the area had put everyone in a good mood, especially considering what they'd been through.

"Well, doesn't do us any good to waste time out here – let's find a camp or town and get to work," the paladin said, cheerfully.

"There – I see smoke; must be a bonfire of some sort. Let's hope they're friendly," James said, pointing at a smoke column visible through the trees.

The group arrived at the camp, and the cheerful feeling was not entirely wiped away – but it was somewhat dashed by a sense of unease. There were dead frost trolls, many of them wrapped up in bandages, lying around. The bonfire was fueled by these mummified trolls. Some still living trolls were glaring out from inside small cages. The tents were occupied by humans mostly, and a few jungle trolls. It was clearly not a faction-divided camp, so Zaraia felt somewhat relieved. Having to go around in Alliance towns made her uneasy, but as she was the minority in the group, she had to put up with it.

As they walked into the town, the people looked up from their work and greeted them. With the suspicious tension broken, the cheerfulness more-or-less returned, though still gnawed at by the feeling that something was not right.

"Hey," Zaraia said, looking at a tall male troll, "Don't I know you? From the ghostlands?"

"Possibly," Prigmon replied, looking up from his work. He had been doing something to the body of a troll – wrapping it up, it appeared at first glance. "I was there a long time ago. But I seen so many faces I don't remember 'em all."

Kai examined the dead troll's body. It was wrapped crudely – as though it were going to be disposed of. Prigmon looked slightly nervous when the dragon boy gave him a strange look.

"This be not what it looks like, mon! Well, maybe it is. It be complicated…"

"Give us the short version?" Kai prompted.

Prigmon sighed. "I know this looks like it be some kind of death camp, but it's not that sinister! They's Scourged, mon…"

Misty looked skeptical. "What about the caged ones?"

"Interrogations. We be payin' the bounty hunters to catch 'em for us. Most of 'em have to be killed, though." Prigmon sighed. "It be makin' my heart ache to do this, but not so much as my back."

"Could we help?" Zaraia asked.

"Would you, mon? Help me haul some of these carcasses to the bonfire – if we don't burn 'em, they be walkin' again in no time…"

The group began to haul mummified trolls over to the great bonfire. As they tossed them in, they had to try not to gag at the slight smell of burning flesh – slight, because whatever Prigmon had been doing to the corpses caused the smell to be weakened.

A drunk man sat nearby with a bottle in his hand, watching the fire. Suddenly he started singing. "Schourged trollsh roashting on an open fire…" The group laughed a bit. Mack Fearsen turned to them with a grin, occasionally hiccupping as he spoke to them. "Gotta burn these corpshes 'fore they shtart walkin' around again. Poppa always said, only thing worshe than havin' to kill a troll is havin' ta kill a troll twice. Say... shpeakin' of Scourge, we can't get into tha' troll keep up north 'til we get them trolls thinned out a bit. How 'bout ya go put some o' them bashtards outta their misery? Make shure ya burn 'em…"

"Sure, why not?" the fire mage said, "If I get to burn stuff, I'm good."

XXX

As the group was about to leave, an ice troll in a cage rattled the bars and glared out at them. "Watch yerselves… Drakuru shrunk more human an' elf heads than I can remember - and even if I could remember, I couldn't count that high. Lucky for you I be stuck in dis cage or I'd be addin' eight more to da list." The adventurers looked at him. There was something unnerving about his stare, though nobody could place it. "But things bein' what they are, mebbe we be puttin' our differences aside fer a time, eh? Drakuru know things, mon. Things that will aid you in your struggle here…"

"What do you mean by that?" the warrior asked, slowly. Drakuru gestured toward one of Ash's swords. He then lifted his hand up and cut the palm open on his tusk.

"So, what you say, mon… truce?"

The warrior gulped and began to move a hand toward his sword, stopped, then moved again. Zaraia grabbed his wrist, and he looked at her. She stared straight into his eyes with a mixture of worried pleading and stern authority. He sighed slightly, his tense muscles relaxing a bit. He then stepped backwards, away from the strange troll's cage.

A look of relief passed over every face in the group – it had been a close call. The warlock shivered at the feelings of unease caused by Drakuru's threats and strange request. Gary glanced around nervously. He said, simply, "Come on," before starting off. The others eagerly followed, wanting to get away from the troll as quickly as possible.

"Bah!" Drakuru glared at the adventurers as they left.


	45. Spirits of Freedom

"You idiot, Ash!" Misty scolded, as soon as they were away from the camp, "_What were you thinking?_ 'Oh, hey, this random creepy troll I don't know wants me to make a blood pact with him! That sounds totally safe and is definitely a smart thing to do!' Do you _ever_ think before you act? If it weren't for Zaraia – or if she hadn't done it, I would have – you would have gotten us all into something we almost certainly don't want to be involved in!"

"I… I would have stopped anyway… I- I know it was a bad idea… I was about to stop when Zaraia grabbed my hand. I don't know why I felt compelled to listen to Drakuru anyway…"

"There's something not right about that troll, that much we know," James said.

"It was very clear, too," Gary said, frowning, his arms crossed over his chest, "You could see that something was up; I know you're not _that_ stupid. Be more _careful_, Ash, or you could get us all killed! Don't swear your loyalty to just anyone!"

"Like I said," the warrior replied, ashamed and somewhat exasperated, "I don't know why I was listening to him! There was something _weird _going on. Magic, maybe?"

"Perhaps…" Misty said, "but you still need to be more careful. _Please._ I don't want you getting hurt, and I don't want you getting the rest of us hurt."

"I'm sorry…" Ash hung his head. He felt so incredibly stupid, but there really had been something pressuring him to do what the troll said. Maybe it _was_ magic, or maybe it was just Drakuru's piercing stare. The warrior had no clue.

XXX

The embarrassment and anger dissipated while riding to the Westfall Brigade Encampment. It was hard to stay uneasy and angry in the Grizzly Hills – even James was relatively happy. The birds were singing, the air was crisp and smelled nice, there was the clopping of hooves, and there was the gentle padding of tiger and hawkstrider feet. At one point along the road, the travelers passed a gigantic tree stump – not quite rivaling teldrassil in size, but still larger than any tree the humans, dragon, and blood elf had ever seen. It was overgrown with moss and flowers, just like the lush flora that bloomed all around the heroes.

Meowth yawned and stretched out on the flank of Jessie's dreadsteed, just behind the saddle. "It's times like this," the warlock mused, "that it's hard to believe I ever lived anywhere but Azeroth. My old life seems like just a fantasy…"

"I know what you mean," the warrior said, "I've lost track of how long we've been here." He looked around at the lovely landscape, where the great shadows of the trees dappled the ground.

"I love this place," Kai said. "Nothing like this exists in Outland. It's so beautiful."

"I'm with you on that one," said the fire mage, "it's prettier than Nagrand… though, as I said there, I've still seen prettier things." He smiled very awkwardly at Misty. She blushed slightly, and, embarrassed, he looked away, also blushing. "But as far as _places_ go, this could be the prettiest."

They passed through a tree with a large hole going all the way through the base of the trunk. Inside the tree, flowers and mosses of all sorts flourished, filling the air with a sweet scent. The group then realized the tree's flowers weren't the only ones causing that smell, as they passed out of the forest and into a large clearing, full of golden flowers. An eagle soared overhead. Giant, delicately colored moths glittered and floated gently through the air, leaving trails of sparkling dust behind them. A herd of wild horses thundered past.

"There's the camp," Starwisp said, pointing ahead. They all rode across the field and into the camp. Soldiers looked up and observed the newcomers but didn't say anything. Suddenly Misty pointed at a tent, grinning broadly.

"There's Stoutmantle!"

"Seriously?" Gary said, "He's here?"

Ash snapped the reins and pulled his horse into a trot, hurrying over to the tent. The others who had been in Westfall followed at a similar pace. "Hey, Stoutmantle!"

"That's _Captai-_" Gryan began, but stopped when he looked up. "Well, I'll be darned! If it's not the four heroes of Westfall!"

"Ishnu-alah!" Starwisp greeted the old paladin warmly. The other two waved and smiled.

The warrior smirked. "I told you fourteen was old enough."

"You did, indeed!" Captain Stoutmantle laughed. The other four adventurers who had not sped up arrived at the tent, and Gryan observed them. "Quite the party you've gathered!"

Gary started the introductions. "Guys, this is Grya- excuse me, _Captain_ Gryan Stoutmantle. We helped him out in Westfall a long time ago, fighting against the Defias. Captain – and congratulations on the promotion – these are our friends and fellow adventurers. The death knight is James, the warlock is Jessie, the one with dark skin is Kai, and the blood elf is another mage named Zaraia. And that's Meowth."

"Another of your… pokemon-creatures, I assume?"

"Yeah, but he can talk."

The introductions went on for a while. People shook hands, etc.

"Well," the Captain said, "I'm glad to have you all here. We need all the help we can get. If you perform the way you did back in Westfall with the People's Militia – and your friends can do just as well – we might have a chance. These are dire times, and if we don't win this, we might not have a Westfall to return to."

XXX

"Cap'n Stoutmantle left most of our calvary... cavlary... uh, horsemen at the fight for Venture Bay," the young squire said. He was younger even than the teenage adventurers, which was not a common sight for them. "We chose a good place to put the camp 'cause there are tons of highland mustangs running around near here and in the Boulder Hills to the northeast. The Cap'n put me in charge of capturing some of 'em. Would you help? I've got a stick and some string, and there are loads of wild carrots growing near the camp. Pick the carrots and use them with the stick to lure in the mustang, then ride it back here."

James raised his eyebrows and muttered, in half-protest, "Animals don't like me…"

Despite the death knight's objections, the rest of the adventurers decided that catching horses would be somewhat fun and a nice change from killing things. It was, of course, much more difficult for many of them than they would have expected, but eventually they got the hang of getting the animals to let them ride them. Misty had better luck than the rest – perhaps it was her paladin aura that soothed the horses.

The mustang snorted and backed away, but the girl moved the carrot a little closer to it. After a moment, the horse nibbled on the offering. Misty cautiously reached out, slowly, and gently touched the stallion's face. It flinched but didn't flee, and then relaxed a bit. "Come on… good boy…" She moved her hand to the animal's back, and put a little weight on it, occasionally giving it a small shove to avoid scaring it when she finally got on. After a while, she bit her lip and tried to get on the horse. The mustang panicked for a moment, but didn't throw her off. She waved the carrot on the stick in front of the horse, and it walked forward. The paladin giggled.

A short distance away, another horse decided it didn't like Gary. It reared up and threw him to the ground. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head as the mustang galloped away.

Starwisp had absolutely no issues getting the horses to cooperate with her, except when her owl spooked the animals. She had a mustang halfway to the camp when Aeroth dove down on a field mouse right in front of the beast, causing it to rear up and throw the elf. Zaraia got plenty of amusement from this.

It took a while, but eventually, most of the party had gotten the horses to work with them, and rode them back to the camp.

"That's your third one!" the fire mage exclaimed, looking at the paladin as they rode back.

"Yeah. Not one horse threw me."

"Animals like you, I guess. I can see why."

"Thanks…"

The adventurers dismounted at the camp – James stayed well away from the animals, trying not to spook them. The squire lovingly took the horses and secured them so they wouldn't run away. "These are some real nice horses! I think the Cap'n will be real pleased with our work. Thanks a bunch!"

XXX

The sight of an orc in a human encampment understandably piqued the curiosity of the adventurers, who gathered around him. Zaraia seemed quite glad to know she was not the only member of a Horde-associated race in the camp. He was sitting cross-legged on a rug, with a few bowls of incence around him.

"Greetings… It is kind of you to stop and hear Kraz's tale. Sit, please." The adventurers sat around him. "For many, many years, Kraz has strained to hear the spirits of the dead and do their bidding – the departed deserve respect. And for many years, Kraz has aided the spirits when he could. But recently, many voices have been crying to Kraz from the ruins of Drakil'jin. They seek a peace they cannot find on their own. Would you help the spirits of those who have gone before?" The heroes generally nodded and agreed with each other. "Then enter the crypt to the east and collect something that once belonged to those tormented souls."

XXX

The band of heroes fought past the trolls in the half-ruined area – perhaps it was a temple? They peered over the edge of the huge but shallow pit. In the center there were gongs and piles of skulls around a bloodstained altar. Behind the altar was a pyre that burned violet and let off purple smoke. Behind this shrine were two enormous, white wind serpents. Other than that, the pit was fairly empty. Starwisp was the first to slide down into the sunken area. The others followed.

"Attack, you stupid bird!" Starwisp hissed, pushing Aeroth off her shoulder. With the owl out of the way, she took aim with an arrow, and shot one of the wind serpents. Hissing madly, they both flew toward her. The wizards began to cast their spells, while the fighters charged. The paladin joined the fighters, deciding it was better to fight than stand back and cast one or two healing spells.

A serpent hissed and coiled around the death knight, looking him right in the eye before lunging. A small arrow to the neck threw it off again – Meowth's aim was still as true as it had been in the Dragonblight.

A fireball hit the other serpent, followed by a blast of water from the paladin's companion. The warrior hacked at the creature's wings.

The fight did not last long. The serpent guardians fell soon and the heroes entered the crypt. Immediately, they saw ghosts – oddly, though, the spirits did not attack them. They watched the adventurers as they walked by, but otherwise ignored them, continuing their troubled wandering. The walls were crumbling, but pieces of elaborate painting could be seen, jade-colored on the carved grey walls. Kai shivered. They entered the main chamber, where part of the wall had fallen away and dirt had poured in, forming a huge pile. Around the edges of the room, the mummies of trolls lay on platforms, while the ghosts wandered nearby.

Gary looked around thoughtfully. "Something that belonged to them…" His gaze eventually settled upon a pot. "Canopic jars." The mage walked over to one of the containers and picked it up. A ghost nearby grunted and attacked him unexpectedly.

"'Ey mon! Why you wanna mess with me innards?"

Zaraia channeled arcane missiles toward the troll ghost, and the paladin cast a judgement. Gary's initial reaction to being attacked was to reply with a dragon's breath spell.

"I have an idea!" Misty called out, "Grab a few more jars and then we'll take all the ghosts at once."

The death knight, warrior, and dragon grabbed the nearest jars, getting the attention of three more angry ghosts. The paladin consecrated the ground, while the mages cast blizzard. The ghosts eventually went down, and the group fled the crypt as quickly as they could.

XXX

"Entrails? An interesting choice. Kraz shall see what is to be learned from them. Thank you for braving the depths of that place."


	46. A Mage's Dilemma

"Corruption. Even before you delivered these jars, Kraz could sense it. This corruption fills the ancient Drakkari spirits with great angst and prevents them from entering the rest they seek. Kraz will not lie; cleansing this place will require great sacrifice, but we shall speak of that at another time. There is one among the living here who holds the key to its cleansing. Seek out Drak'aguul and return to Kraz with the mallet he carries."

None of the heroes realized what was meant by that. None realized what the sacrifice and the key meant. They set off once more for the ruins.

XXX

Crouching behind the ruins, the adventurers waited for the night elf's signal. She was completely invisible, faded into the shadow of the pillar. Everyone was silent. Suddenly, a pebble bounced forcefully out in front of the adventurers, thrown by an invisible hand – Drak'aguul had arrived. The heroes launched themselves into action as the night elf became visible once more. The huge ice troll towered over them, rivaling Starwisp and the Rockets in height and blowing them away in muscularity.

He had very little time to react, failing to move out of the way in time to avoid the warrior's swords, which plunged into his shoulder. With a grunt, he swatted the boy away, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Zaraia joined the fight, blasting the troll with arcane energies. An oracle began to charge blue electricity around his hands; the warlock would have none of that. She cursed him and began to cast a shadowbolt. Aeroth dove down and tore at the oracle's head while his master targeted the leader of the troll trio. Drak'aguul's other bodyguard tried to charge the huntress, but was tackled by Kai – not with enough force to knock him over, but hard enough to cause him to change his mind about his priorities. Pikachu decided through some sense of irony that the most appropriate target would be the lightning-casting oracle. Absol attacked the Drak'aguul himself, aiding his trainer, who was throwing fireballs from next to the paladin as she healed the others. The death knight narrowly avoided a punch to the face from the Drakkari bodyguard, again displaying surprising agility for a corpse. A pressurized blast of water nearly knocked the troll over, and a small arrow whizzed past, striking the oracle in the chest. A larger arrow zipped through the air at Drak'aguul. The warlock drained the last of the oracle's life energy. Kai kicked the remaining bodyguard in the face, knocking him down, and the death knight thrust his sword deep into the troll's chest. A fiery dragon head appeared and flames engulfed Drak'aguul in one final blow.

XXX

"You have done well thus far, but now comes your true test. These Drakkari have met you with nothing but savage hostility. You owe them nothing. Few indeed would carry out the task that Kraz asks of you today. To cleanse this place and send the spirits to their eternal rest, you must join them… in death. There is one inside the crypt who awaits you - on the other side. He holds the knowledge we seek," Kraz explained. The shock was evident on every face. The heroes were unable to wrap their minds around it. While death had been a constant threat all along, now it was certain – one of them would have to die. There was a very long silence.

Gary took a deep breath, sighed, and said, "I… I will go."

"What?" Misty yelped.

"No," Starwisp replied flatly, "You're the only one who can get the rest of the party home. They need you alive, Gary – I'll die in your place."

Kraz looked at them with an unblinking gaze. "It would be easier for one with magic to return from the land of the dead."

"R-return?" the fire mage asked. All the heroes raised their eyebrows. "So you mean it won't be permanent?"

"Kraz means it _might_ not be permanent. Tomorrow is a special night – when it is said, that one – only one – spirit recently deceased, one soul with unfinished business, a spirit that died too young, may return to the world of the living. The spirits of those who have gone before have been preparing for that night."

Gary nodded. "I'll go then."

Kraz stood up and put his large, green hand on the mage's shoulder. "You are a brave mage, Gary. Kraz wants to make sure, though, that you understand that this is no guarantee. The spirits, though they believe strongly, might be wrong. You might not return to the world of the living."

"It's okay." The boy nodded, understanding how grave the situation was.

"Enjoy one more day – tomorrow, you must ring the gongs with the mallet you acquired today, and stand near the altar. Warlord Jin'arrak will kill you – it will not be pleasant, mage, possibly quite painful. Are you _certain_ you will be willing to go through with this?"

The mage nodded. He sighed, gulped, and nodded, staring into space as the sun fell – it was nearly sunset. "One more night… Got it." He shut his eyes.

XXX

Gary sat on a rock at the top of a small cliff overlooking the coast of Northrend, as the sun began to set, lighting the sky ablaze with red and gold. The sea glimmered brilliantly, reflecting the sun's glow and the auroras that shone above. He heard someone in armor approaching, and the paladin soon sat by him on the rock.

"Gary…" He didn't respond to her, just lowering his head slightly and shutting his eyes. Misty put a hand on his shoulder, just at the base of the neck. "… You don't have to do this…" He just lifted his head and looked sadly into her eyes.

"I already said I would. I don't want to go back on my word…"

"No one will blame you if you back out now!"

"… I've already made up my mind, Misty," the mage told her calmly. His brown eyes were shining in the orange light of the setting sun. "Please, don't try to change it…"

"… I don't want you to die…" the paladin whispered, tears welling up in her eyes for a moment. She tried to blink them away, but one escaped and rolled down her cheek.

Gary smiled slightly for a moment. "None of us do." He reached forward and gently wiped the tear from her cheek. She looked positively radiant, more beautiful than he remembered her ever being. After looking into her eyes for a moment, he pulled her close in a long, tight hug. "I'll come back. I promise. Even if the legends are wrong, I'll _find_ a way back, for you."

She wanted to tell him, then and there, that she loved him. But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to admit it out loud. Even if she could, she was too choked up. She kissed his cheek, then buried her face in his shoulder.

XXX

The moon was high in the sky. It was a slightly windy night, and the waves crashing against the rocks rhythmically. The death knight stood at the cliffs at the edge of the sea, arms folded over his chest, cape and hair rustling in the wind. The warlock finally located her missing teammate and walked up to him.

"There you are!"

He didn't acknowledge her statement, but merely said "Jessie. I've been thinking…" She waited for him to continue, and after getting no response, he did. "Perhaps I should die in his place."

"What?"

"As the night elf said: You need Gary to get home."

"W-what? 'You'? Why not 'we'? You're coming with us…"

James laughed bitterly. "Good luck with _that_. Look at me… I'm a monster."

"No you aren't!" Jessie insisted, almost angrily, "Don't say crazy things like that!"

"Don't kid yourself. I'm a death knight. Even here, when I walk through town, people stare at me suspiciously. Women pull their children close and lead them to the other side of the road. Yes, they accept me as an ally, but they do so with fear. And these are people who are familiar with the concept of the undead; people who know full well I have free will and am no more a threat than any other armor-clad adventurer in the streets. The people of Kanto have no _concept_ of the undead outside of horror movies and fantasy novels. How do you think they would react to me, Jessie?" The death knight's expression twisted as he turned to look at his friend – he almost looked like he was about to cry, but nothing in his voice suggested that. Perhaps it was just a trick of the moonlight, or perhaps it really was there and he was simply good at masking emotion in his voice, but there appeared to be anguish in his glowing blue eyes. "The rest of you get to return home, but I'm doomed to remain here, an outcast, wandering the world until my body _literally falls apart!_" He sobbed once before regaining his composure. He shook his head and looked away for a few moments. James turned back to the warlock, his face having regained the usual stoic expression. His voice was calm again. "Forgive my outburst. Forget I said any of that… The point is, I won't go home anyway, so I'm the most logical member of the team to sacrifice."

"No."

"Just 'no'? Haven't you got anything more to say to that than 'no'?"

"No. You're not going to sacrifice yourself. Besides, Kraz said it would be better if a spellcaster did it."

"Technically, I am a spellcaster."

"But you're also already dead. Who knows how that might screw the whole thing up? You might not even go to… wherever it is you need to go."

James sighed in defeat. "… A valid point…"

XXX

Gary couldn't sleep. He opened his eyes in the darkness, sighing. He decided to get up and go outside – it wasn't like he needed sleep, anyway, since he would be dead soon. Much to his surprise, Misty was also still up, sitting alone on a log by a dimly burning campfire.

He walked quietly over to her, and spoke, gently, trying not to startle her. "What are you doing still awake…?"

She rested her head on her hand, and her elbow on her knee, looking into the fire. "…Worrying about you…"

"Don't…"

"Can't help it…"

He sat next to her. "Want to know something?"

"What?"

"Sometimes… I worry about you too. Even though I know you can take care of yourself." He smiled a bit.

"…That's sweet of you…"

"Heh… Nah…"

She moved closer and leaned her head on his shoulder, a sad smile on her face, as the flickering light of the fire cast their long shadows, and kept them warm in the chill of night. The mage put his arm around the paladin, also smiling sadly, and neither one slept at all, spending the whole night together, watching the fire leap about in front of them.


	47. Prophecy

Morning came. Though the birds were singing, the sun was bright, and there was not a cloud in the sky, everyone was somber, depressed, and quiet. As the hours crawled by, Gary had become more and more detached. Finally, he could take it no longer – the death that awaited him was a weight on his soul, and he needed to free himself from it. He stood up suddenly. Without making eye contact with anyone, he said, "I'm going now."

"But-!" Misty protested, "But you don't have to go until this evening!"

"I know… but I'll need time in the land of the dead, to do whatever I need to do. Besides… I want to get it over with. Having my death hanging over my head is torment. I can't stand it anymore. I'm sorry. I have to go."

Silence. After a moment, Starwisp stood up, and halfheartedly gave the mage a night elf salute.

"Good luck…" the warrior said, for lack of anything better to say.

"What if you don't come back?" Kai asked.

Gary just shook his head. "I _will_ come back."

"I hope so…" Zaraia muttered.

There was an awkward silence. Gary sighed and waved at his friends halfheartedly. "… Goodbye…" He turned and started walking away.

The paladin suddenly ran after him. He turned to her, just as she threw her arms around him and hugged him one last time. He gave her a quick hug as well, and then he set out.

XXX

The mage stood by himself at the bloodstained altar, trembling. He took a deep breath, and then took the mallet from the plane of storage. He tried to strike the gong, faltering for a moment, but then forced himself to go through with the motion. The gong let out a deep ringing. Gary looked up. An ethereal vision appeared in the purple smoke; the face and shoulders of a giant blue troll with a giant purple mohawk, clad in grey armor, with gold skulls on his spaulders.

"_**How dare you summon me without an offering!**_" the troll roared, as the ground shook and lightning struck all around. An invisible hand wrenched the mage up from the ground, held him over the altar, and for a brief moment, Gary experienced the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt as his neck was snapped by an unseen force. Then, all was dark.

The next thing the mage was aware of was a feeling of slamming powerfully but painlessly into something as he was thrown back into consciousness. He was lying on the altar, and when he opened his eyes, his first look at the sky above him made him feel dizzy, and he wondered if it hadn't worked – if night had fallen and he'd accomplished nothing, and was still alive. The uncertainty faded quickly. The sky was dark, but it grew lighter toward the edges, and it dawned on the mage that the sky was a swirling vortex. Gary sat up, and realized he was now colorblind. He looked around. The world was very much the same, save for the sky and the lack of color, but it was eerily silent. Even his own motions produced no sound. He cleared his throat to make sure he wasn't just deaf. He could, in fact, hear himself, but his voice was echoey. Gary got up and turned around – his body was lying there, stone-cold and dead. He looked at his hands. They were transparent, sort of; when he put one hand over the other, the top hand blocked his view of the bottom one, but no matter what, he could see the ground through them.

The air had no smell, no sounds, and no detectable temperature. It was neither warm nor cold. The mage noticed that he had no heartbeat, and breathed only out of the force of habit. _Enough time wasted,_ Gary thought,_ Time to get to business._ He entered the crypt. The spirits within looked at him curiously – here was a human among trolls! – some with faint hopeful looks, as though he were a hero of some sort, but all of them had very little expression; their eyes were all tired and gazed out in a detached manner.

The spellcaster's ghost wandered through the ruins, until he finally came to a wise-looking troll dressed in the garb of a shaman. He looked at Gary calmly and spoke with an echoing voice. "Your coming has been foretold, friend. It was good of you to come."

"Foretold…?"

"It be as the prophecies said, mon. A human mage be comin' to set our spirits to rest. We been waitin' for a long time now…"

"I don't understand…!" Gary was starting to feel the beginnings of panic. He was confused and wanted to go back to the world of the living. Gan'jo patted his shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, mon… The stories go way back. We knew you be comin' today. You be destined for great things, and you gonna set things right again. The Drakkari have become a lost people, fierce and savage. But here we suffer by no fault of our own, mon. This place need cleansin' and only the living can do it."

"But… when will I get to live again?"

"You don't need to wait long, mon. Time passes quickly in the spirit world. Soon the moon will be in the highest point in the sky, just below the dragon star, and they be pointin' due north together. The Alignment happens only once every couple hundred years. We knew you be comin' on this one to save us. When the Alignment happens, you be returnin' to life and rescuing me bruddas by taking the Snow of Eternal Slumber from the chest and putting our lost souls to rest. Then you take our remains to your spirit guide."

Gan'jo motioned for the mage to come with him. They walked for a long time before the troll spirit stopped and pointed to a wall, covered in carvings. Most of the wall had been worn away, chipped, and ruined, but some pictures remained intact. Gary looked it over, and one very familiar figure, etched and painted in the wall, sent a chill down his spine: a young human mage with spiky hair, combed forward. The figure was wearing a tunic with elegant designs on the chest, and wielding a staff in one hand. In the other hand, he had a pile of what appeared to be sparkling powder. Next to him was an absol-like wolf. He was smiling and there were many trolls in front of him, one of which was sparkling, as though the powder was on it. Above the human figure were many glowing spheres. Gan'jo looked at the carved figure with reverence and whispered a name: "Zul'Gar'jin." The mage would have gone pale at this entire thing, had he been able to. He gulped. The troll spirit turned to him and translated the name. "Great Witch Doctor Gar the Chieftan…"

"Witch doctor? Chieftan?"

"When the prophecy was made, we didn't have the right words to describe you. A better translation would be Great Mage Gary the Leader." He paused for a moment. "It be time, Zul'Gar'jin. Good luck."

He then turned to go back to the other ghosts, as color returned to the world. Temperature and ambient sound returned to the air. Gary looked at his hands – they were solid again. He laughed and grinned, glad to be alive. After a moment, he stopped grinning, and looked up at the wall with the carvings again. In color, it was even clearer that the carved figure was him – brown hair, a blue tunic, gold decorations. There were a couple minor errors – his eyes were blue, for example, but it was still shockingly accurate. He reached out, slowly, and put his hand on the figure. He looked around, and a perplexed expression appeared on his face. _That chest wasn't there a minute ago…_

Hidden in the shadows was a beautifully decorated rectangular chest. It was glowing faintly, or perhaps that was an illusion caused by the copious amounts of gold leaf on it. It was covered with carvings of animal faces – the Loa gods, which Gary had seen elsewhere: a snake, a wind serpent, a snow leopard, a white bear, a rhino, and a mammoth. But in the center was the face of an absol, like the one on the wall. Like the carving of its master, the image of the pokemon was not entirely accurate, but close enough to send chills down the mage's spine.

He knelt and opened the box, and inside was a shimmering powder, glowing softly blue and purple. Hesitating for a moment, Gary stared at it before tentatively putting his hand in. It was very fine and soft, and glittered as it moved. The mage pulled a health potion out of the plane of storage, poured the contents out on the ground, and used the bottle to scoop up a large amount of the powder. He looked over his shoulder at the carving on the wall.

Gary returned to the main chamber with the broken wall and the dirt pile. The ghosts were all waiting for him. Gan'jo was the first to walk over to him, with a smile between his tusks. Not sure what he was supposed to do, the mage put some of the glittering powder on the palm of his hand, and then spread it in the air over the shaman spirit. Gan'jo began to glow brightly and sparkled, as the carvings had shown. He faded from sight, save for a tiny glowing sphere, which landed softly in Gary's hand. The troll spirits began to cheer. A mummy – presumably Gan'jo's – burst into flames. The mage looked around at the cheering ghosts, then grinned. He repeated the ritual on a female troll.

"Thank you, hero!"

Another troll laughed, his voice echoing, as he was being freed. "Zul'Gar'jin has come at last!"

"The prophecy be true, mon!"

"The wait be over…"

Gary grinned broadly as he set each troll to rest, one at a time.

XXX

Nobody in the camp was sleeping. They were all awake, gathered under the starry, aurora-filled sky, sitting around the campfire, waiting for a friend who might never return. Gary approached silently. Zaraia looked up first and gasped. Everyone else turned to look.

Misty's eyes widened and a giant smile spread across her face. "_Gary!_" She leapt up and ran to him, embracing him with such force that she nearly knocked him over.

"Misty!" He hugged her, never having felt happier to see her. Not taking their hands off each other, but stepping back, they looked into one another's eyes. "I told you I would come back." The paladin nodded.

"Welcome back, Gary!" Ash said.

"What was the spirit world like?" Starwisp asked.

More and more questions and comments arose. Gary just laughed, feeling glad to be alive.


	48. Zul'Drak

It was about noon when a quiet young soldier came over to the adventurers. He acted as though they were superior officers but had no particular ranks. "Excuse me, uh, sirs and madams… Captain Stoutmantle would like to speak with you…"

The group reported to Gryan once more. "Your days here are numbered. As much as we need capable heroes in our ranks, there's trouble up north that makes our problems look like a mid-summer Stormwind parade. Turns out the Scourge are concentrating their efforts – making a big push to take over Zul'Drak. If that happens, we may as well pack it in. You're free to finish any business here, but then it's off to Light's Breach with you. Dismissed."

XXX

Zul'Drak was a creepy place. There was no denying that.

There were no birds calling, only the sound of the horses' hooves and the feet of bird and tiger on the stone road. The sickly red grass grew over the edges of the path, interrupted here and there by twisted trees with burgundy leaves and spikes on the trunks. In places, the road was broken by gnarled tentacle-like roots, spiny and black. The ruins of troll buildings and statues littered the forested area. The sky was so overcast that it was impossible to tell the time of day – even the light that did get through the torn clouds was dim.

On their way to Light's Breach, the group came across another Argent Dawn outpost – the Argent Stand. It was located in the ruins of a temple of some sort, right on the path. Unfortunately, it was under attack. The adventurers rushed to see what they could do to help.

A draenei man in a crystalline-looking suit of armor watched the combat from above, shouting orders. The heroes greeted him. "What? What are you kids doing here? This is no place for you!"

"We're here to help; Captain Stoutmantle sent us," Zaraia said.

"He's out of his mind, sending kids up here! Well, a soldier is a soldier and we must still face the onslaught of the Scourge. Such is the way in this frigid hell. The attacks are unrelenting, yet my men need rest. If you are willing, we could use your aid in reinforcing them. Below in the courtyard you'll find no end to the fighting. Dispatch the Scourge there with all the zeal you can muster. While you're at it, hand out parachutes to the poor men and women down there – those sky terrors are dropping them from the air, and death by falling is a horrible way to go."

Thus, the heroes found themselves in combat. A pair of abominations lumbered about. Ghouls and geists rushed around, fighting Argent Crusaders. A man screamed as he fell from the sky, while gargoyles shrieked around him, circling. Gary quickly cast slow fall on the man, and he landed with a soft thud rather than a bone-shattering crash.

"Mages stand back and cast slow fall; fighters to the front; Starwisp, Kai, and Jessie, get parachutes to those soldiers!" Misty ordered, as she jumped down into the courtyard. Nobody argued with her. They joined her on the battlefield, where she was already unleashing her holy wrath upon the undead. The ground split and glowed, and flashes of light lit the courtyard, giving hope to the soldiers.

Three ghouls ignored the consecrated ground and lunged at the paladin. One crashed into her shield, and James rushed in from the side, slicing through one of the ghouls as it was in mid-leap. The paladin dodged the last ghoul and smashed the first one with a judgement.

A gargoyle fell out of the sky and narrowly missed the warrior, crushing one of the geists he was fighting. It had a small arrow sticking out of its chest. The remaining geist pounced at Ash, but he ran it through with a sword. A ghoul rushed him, and he swung both swords, snapping the one with the geist still on it quickly to a halt, flinging the body from the blade, slicing the ghoul's chest with the other.

A draenei woman slew the monsters she was fighting and took the parachute from Kai. Not more than a minute later she used it, much to the irritation of the gargoyle that dropped her.

Golden light exploded from multiple undead around the paladin. An abomination collapsed from the blow of an icy blade. The death knight turned his attention to a group of ghouls.

"Let's try something new…" he muttered, grinning savagely. He pointed his runeblade at the undead; their chests burst open, spewing blood. James cackled and returned to striking down his enemies with ice and steel.

Gary took every chance he got to attack. His first duty was to protect the falling soldiers, but occasionally he could throw a fireball. He was in the middle of casting a spell when a gargoyle dived down and picked up a dwarf. Zaraia smoothly transitioned from her arcane missiles to a slow fall spell, saving her fellow mage the trouble of abandoning his spell.

Lightning struck three gargoyles down at once, followed by a fourth from a blast of water. The water-blasted gargoyle tried to take off again, but a blur of white slammed into it, as the absol tore into its hard skin.

Starwisp tried to reach an orc on the battlefield, but was attacked by a giest. She slammed her bladed fist into the side of its head, ripped the metal claws out with a slick squishing noise and continued to run to those who needed her help.

The warlock's felhound protected her while she rushed around the field. A ghoul lunged at her, but was yanked back by the powerful demon. Jessie nearly crashed into James as he jumped back, dodging a blow. He almost fell over and the impact threw his timing off. The abomination took the opportunity to attack. A stone thumped into the side of its head, and it turned.

"Over here, ugly!" Ash taunted. The abomination charged. The warrior leapt to the side and then, as the Scourge monster passed, jumped back in and slammed his weapons into its side. An arrow embedded itself in the monster's head from Meowth's shortbow.

The Scourge numbers were thinning drastically. Aeroth and one of the few remaining gargoyles circled.

"Stop handing out parachutes! Fight! Zaraia and I have it covered!" Gary shouted.

Starwisp rushed back to the temple, jumped up and rolled onto the platform that the mages were standing on, and quickly stood up. Removing her bow from her back, she began shooting at the Scourge. Jessie joined them quickly, climbing up the rocky wall and turning to cast a rain of fire.

Kai kicked and punched his way through the fights, generally trying to stay close to the armored fighters. He glanced around – there were less than half the number of Scourge there had been to begin with. The golden light continued to flash, not only from holy spells but from lightning. The tide had turned. The Argent Crusaders and the heroes now had the upper hand and were getting farther ahead by the minute.

Starwisp shot the last of the gargoyles out of the sky, and the mages joined the fray. The combat area was getting so small that they actually had to jump down and go out into the courtyard in order to fight. A group of ghouls and geists charged the warlock, who responded with a familiar-looking spell. A demon's head appeared out of nowhere and breathed purple fire onto the undead.

"_Hey!_" Gary said, "No stealing my spells!" Not to be outdone, he rushed into a larger group of undead and cast dragon's breath, followed by a cone of cold. They began to cast blizzard and rain of fire at the same time, and the fighting continued around them. The undead soon fell to the attackers. It took everyone a moment to realize the battle was over – it was a strange idea. Slowly, the Crusaders and heroes began to cheer.

The adventurers were rewarded in gold before setting out again, along the very path they'd just cleared.


	49. A Paladin's Fate

The adventurers were nervous, and rightfully so. They rode along the lower section of Zul'Drak, which was more corrupt and creepy than the middle section. The grasses here were splotchy – a mix of the unhealthy red from the middle tier and a dead brown. The trees were spinier and the forest thicker. Light filtered down in gray beams through the slightly dusty air. Thorny roots broke the road frequently, and the stone was chipped and uneven. Many of the trees were surrounded by glowing green mist that spiraled around the trunks.

The heroes were attacked on the road at one point, by a spiny, mutated raptor and its undead troll rider. After the brief skirmish, they were free to continue, and after more traveling, came to an Argent Dawn camp – the one they were looking for. Wolvar pups slept in a pile, and a few adults sat by the fire. Human, orc, and elf Crusaders sat with them. The adventurers reported to the one who looked like he was in charge.

"Why are there wolvar here?" the paladin asked.

"These poor creatures are the only survivors. According to their chief, the Drakkari trolls and Rageclaw wolvar have been allies for thousands of years. They've been living here, alongside the trolls, for generations, completely unaware of the ever changing world around them. To the Rageclaw, a troll is a troll, so the troll attack upon their den took them by surprise. We need some answers, kid. We've got the rest under control, and that means we can't spare anyone to find out what's going on, but you must be capable fighters if you were able to reach this camp. Scour their village – southeast of here – for clues as to who or what is in charge of these attacks."

"_Yes,_" Gary muttered, "That's the – what, third time we've been judged by something other than our age?"

XXX

The wolvar village was burning. Undead trolls swarmed it, some of them larger than others. Several wolvar were chained to posts – presumably doomed to undeath or to be food for hungry raptors.

"We've got to put the fires out!" Zaraia said.

"No," Ash told her, "The village is doomed anyway. Our first objective is to save the wolvar that are chained up and find out who's responsible for this."

Starwisp pushed the bird off her shoulder. "Aeroth! _Kill._" The bird obeyed with minimal confusion, and the night elf readied an arrow. The mages began to call ice from the heavens, and Jessie hesitated before casting a rain of fire – the village was too far gone to save it from fire. The pokemon joined the attack, helping the warrior fight off the large grey troll while the paladin stood back and healed him. The death knight directed a blast of ice at the giant troll and began striking it with his blade, runes glowing brilliantly.

The large troll fell. The smaller ones rushed the group. The casters and healer focused on protecting the fighters as they pushed their way toward the chained wolvar.

Kai managed to get close enough to examine the locks quickly before having to fight again. "Anybody know how to pick a lock?"

"I do," James offered.

"You do?" the warlock replied, surprised.

"Cover me; I'll help the wolvar." The death knight killed the troll he was fighting and hurried over to the locks. It turned out that his 'lockpicking' skill was primal at best, but it worked; he turned the metal brittle with a shock of ice and then slammed his blade into it with all his might, shattering the lock.

"That's one way to do it," Ash muttered as he continued fighting.

One by one the wolvar joined the fight as they were freed. Together, they cleared the village of undead, but the buildings were too far burnt to save. The wolvar ran to the Argent camp.

"There," Misty said, pointing at an altar. She sheathed her sword and walked over. There was a scroll sitting on it. The paladin picked it up and read it. "Minions be hearing the call of your master! The Lich King be giving Drakuru full control of the armies of the Scourge in Zul'Drak. We be commanded to kill everything.

_Everything must die!_

We be processing all the corpses in the Dead Fields and sending them up to Prince Navarius' crew in Zeramas for Scourging! Nothing goes to waste on Drakuru's watch!

Soon we be drinking the blood of the prophets to become stronger than ever before! Zul'Drak and Gundrak gonna fall to the Scourge!"

"That doesn't sound good," the warlock observed.

"Drakuru," Misty said quietly, "Wasn't that the troll that threatened us in Grizzly Hills? Oh, I _knew_ we couldn't trust him!"

XXX

"If this is the same Drakuru from Drak'Tharon Keep we are going to need... outside assistance. Death knights of Acherus are stationed nearby, undoubtedly following the same trail of Scourge destruction that led the Argent Crusade here. As half of our army is tied up at the Argent Stand, battling crazed Drakkari trolls, we will have to join forces with the Knights of the Ebon Blade," the Crusader said. He then muttered under his breath, "I was hoping I'd never have to see those scoundrels again after Light's Hope..."

James heard him despite his attempts to remain quiet, and cleared his throat ominously. Crusader Lantinga grinned nervously, realizing his mistake. James mumbled something about "No respect".

"Anyway, take these orders and deliver them to Stefan Vadu. He is the death knight in command at Ebon Watch. Let him know that the Argent Crusade will deal with Prince Navarius. They'll have to handle Drakuru."

XXX

Stefan wadded the paper up and threw it into the fire. "Old news. As usual, the Argent Crusade is late to the party. We've been tracking Drakuru since the Grizzly Hills. But I do have a job for you kids. We need samples of blighted troll manes to study."

XXX

Misty knelt to take a sample of the troll's mane when she noticed a strange necklace. It was made of bone and it dripped with blood. It was quite intricate and disturbingly pretty. The paladin's gut twisted as she fought a strange and powerful urge to wear the gruesome choker. She decided to show it to James.

"If this is what I think it is…" the death knight muttered, examining the odd necklace. "I'm not sure. The best thing to do would be to bring it to Stefan."

XXX

Stefan looked very troubled upon seeing the ghastly collar. "Yes… I am familiar with items like these…" He looked the paladin directly in the eyes, very seriously. "It would seem, Misty, that you have been… _selected._" The paladin gulped and tried not to look too nervous. "It was either wisdom or luck that prevented you from wearing this choker, kid. Either way, your acquiring it was no random occurance. You've been targeted by someone, or something… Here, let me show you the fate that nearly befell you."

Stefan took the necklace to a caged troll – still living – and put it through the bars.

"For me? Really, mon?" the unsuspecting troll said, hypnotized by the grisly necklace, "It- It be beautiful…" The poor creature put the necklace on and let out a horrible scream, thrashing about as his flesh turned putrid and discolored, beginning to rot visibly. He then stood still, a mindless Scourge minion, looking around calmly and growling at the people outside his cage.

Everyone went pale, especially the fire mage and the paladin – Misty had been very close to having that fate herself.

"Now you've observed the fate that was meant to befall you, paladin. As I mentioned before, this was no coincidence. The creation of such a device is very involved, and the required resources would not be squandered on a random target.

The simple truth of the matter is… you're wanted by the Scourge."


	50. Misty: Servant of the Scourge

"Once the Scourge have a target in their sights, they'll stop at nothing to acquire it. You're doomed to a mindless existence as a walking corpse…"

The paladin just stared at him as though she believed she was merely having a nightmare and hoped to wake up soon. Stefan grinned.

"…Unless, of course, we can use their desires against them. I'll explain later. I have complex magic to prepare which requires certain material components. Travel due east of here to the Reliquary of Agony. Gather the ghoul drool you'll find there. Also, slay abominations and return to me with their remnants."

The group set out silently, with grim determination and a somber attitude; again the threat of death reared its ugly head. Misty seemed to have gone into shock, isolated in her own thoughts, fuzzily aware of the world around her. Gary was understandably concerned about her. He put his hand on her shoulder as they walked toward the Reliquary of Agony.

XXX

Though she had avoided Scourging, Misty was acting distinctly zombie-like as she fought. She was being wounded more often because she wasn't paying attention. As the heroes (somewhat squeamishly) gathered the innards of an abomination, the fire mage and paladin stepped away for a minute to speak.

"Misty, please, you've got to keep alert and keep fighting!"

"I have been fighting…"

"But I mean, like you were before. Now you're… well… you're not all here…"

"Are you saying I'm stupid? Crazy? Is that what you think?"

"No! No, that's not what I'm saying! I'm saying… you- you're not really paying attention."

"So you think I'm a space case. Fine." The paladin was being very irritable.

"_No!_ I'm not saying that! Stop taking everything I say as an insult! I know you're short tempered right now, but please, just listen to me!" He put his hand on her shoulder and looked at her pleadingly. She sighed and apologized, but he insisted it wasn't her fault. "Look, all I'm trying to say is, keep your spirits up, or this'll be a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can't let the Scourge get to you that easily."

"…You're right…"

"…And… I'm sorry if I sounded rude. I- I just…"

Ash interrupted, "Sometimes he has trouble forming proper sentences when you're around."

Gary blushed. "Were you listening to that whole conversation?"

"Yep. You didn't go very far away to talk; it's nobody's fault but your own."

"I hate you, Ash, I really do."

"Good. Mission accomplished." The warrior stuck out his tongue.

XXX

"Well, it's far from perfect, but it'll have to do," Stefan Vadu told the heroes, "I shall be done with this soon. For now, relax a bit."

"Easier said than done," Misty grumbled. After a while of tense waiting, the death knight turned back to the group. He held up the choker that had been meant for the paladin.

"I have modified this. It should now disguise you as a member of the Scourge – that is, give you the appearance and abilities of one of them, though you'll still technically be alive. I don't think they'll be able to sense it though."

"Are we sure this is safe?" James asked.

"Certain? No. Reasonably confident? Yes. We could test it on an animal if that makes you feel better," the Knight of the Ebon Blade offered, sounding somewhat irritable but obviously trying to be compassionate.

"…Test it on Aeroth," Starwisp said, biting her lip. The decision to put her bird in danger with no chance of fighting back was not easy for her. She let the owl step onto her hand and held him out for Vadu. The death knight fastened the bone collar on the owl's neck. Instantly, Aeroth began to turn undead, though he didn't seem to be in any pain. His eyes started glowing purple and his feathers faded and became dirty, some of them falling out. His form withered and bits of bone on his claws were exposed. Aside from puffing himself up and shaking a bit, the owl didn't act all that uncomfortable. The night elf bit her lip harder, though; it didn't feel right to do this to her pet. Stefan took the collar off, and Aeroth returned to normal. He swiveled his head around and looked at his master as though to ask what that was all about. She smiled and sighed with relief.

Misty gulped. "I guess this is it, then." Gary watched her nervously as she took the bone necklace and clasped it around her neck, closing her eyes as she did so. When she opened them, they glowed with vivid blue fire. Her skin became paler and tighter as her face became gaunt. Small patches of skin were slightly discolored, as though in the very earliest stages of rotting. Her hair thinned slightly, darkened, and dulled. She looked very much like a corpse. Her body wasn't the only thing to undergo a change with the disguise; her armor turned dark, slightly darker than the color of saronite. Her cape changed from blue to ebony. Her sword became less shiny and blue runes appeared on it.

The new 'death knight' was a chilling sight.

"Do you feel alright?" Gary asked.

"Cold," the girl replied, "but otherwise I think I'm okay."

"Good," Stefan said, "Now, let's make sure the Scourge don't see right through it. Visit a merchant of theirs to the east, and buy something from him – say, a bottle of plasma – and bring it to me." Misty turned to leave, and the death knight gave her a quick bit of advice. "Don't go directly there from here – go from another direction, or they may suspect that you're not really with them."

XXX

The entire group was nervous the whole time the paladin was gone, but Gary in particular was noticeably on edge. He wandered around the camp, unable to keep still for long. He sighed with relief when he saw a girl in black armor and hurried over to her, even though he didn't really know what to say to her; he was just glad she was okay.

"You've got the flask?" Vadu asked. Misty nodded and gave it to him. The death knight grinned sourly. "How are you enjoying Scourge life? Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be… Anyway, by now you've probably guessed the details of my plan. We're using the Scourge's interest in you against them. You're going undercover." Stefan's voice became apologetic as he continued, "I know it's likely a death sentence, but if we do nothing your death is a certainty.

Travel northeast to Reliquary of Pain and stand on the platform. Once inside Voltarus, you must earn the trust of the Scourge commander. When you've completed your mission, blow this horn and I'll fly to your location to receive your report." The death knight gave the girl a small, curved horn on a string. Misty put it on her belt, right under her sword's sheath.

XXX

Misty found herself inside a strange citadel, grey and green. There were some openings in the floor, with rails around them to keep ghouls from falling off accidentally. Presumably, the holes were entrances for gargoyles, in addition to the balconies around the edges of the citadel. The paladin left the central area, climbed a ramp, and found herself face to face with the troll from the Grizzly Hills.

"Ah, there ya are. Freshly scourged, eh? Ya still be reekin' of da living! Long be da line of dem who seek da Lich King's blessings. Ya must rise above da masses and prove yerself worthy of wieldin' true power. I noticed yer power in da Hills, but lookin' down over Zul'Drak be when I sensed real potential in ya. I ordered yer – invitation. Da rest be up ta you... Go an' speak ta Gorebag for a tour of Zul'Drak. Dere be much ta do if you're to be of any worth to me."

So, without a word, the paladin went. She was digusted by the citadel, but knew she couldn't let it show. She had to be convincing. The girl went around a corner and onto a balcony, where she asked the geist for a tour. He called down one of the skeletal gryphons – Misty was too big for a gargoyle to carry. It was an ugly thing, missing its lower jaw, but the paladin forced herself onto it, and it took off nearly immediately. What unnerved her most, though, was that the disguise allowed her to hear voices in her head – just like the Scourge. It came as quite a shock to her when Drakuru's voice whispered to her.

"A portion of dis land already be mine, mon, but it be just da beginnin'."

The whispers could drive her mad, or worse – what if _they_ could hear _her_ thoughts? Drakuru didn't respond, so a slight sense of relief washed over her. She flew over the Argent Stand, and Drakuru continued.

"Here, da self-righteous crusaders be standin' in da way of our goal. Dey will fall!" The gryphon took Misty over some ruins, and up to a higher section of Zul'Drak – a section covered in snow. "Da Drakkari be destroyin' their lands! Dey gunna be losin' dem... soon, mon. It all gonna belong to da Lich King!" Then, a huge troll building. "Ahh… dere be our destiny – Gundrak! Study dis place well, mon; you gonna be helpin' ta conquer it! Dere be great glory ta be won here. Da Lich King be _sharin'_ his power wit dem who serve him well, mon. When da gryphon lands, talk ta me in person."

Misty looked around at the broken land below her. This had once been a thriving nation, and now it was on the verge of extinction. And she was going to help destroy it. The idea filled her with sorrow, and – disturbingly – sadistic glee. Why did she find the sight so beautiful? Did she see hope of redemption? Or did she secretly wish to see the whole world in ruins? She pushed her self-uncertainty to the back of her mind; she had to immerse herself in the role of Scourge servant for the time being.

The gryphon deftly swooped under the citadel and up through the openings in the floor. Misty got off and walked over to Drakuru.

"So, now ya be seein' what we be up against, mon. I want ya ta go down, learn da land, mingle with yer bretheren. Prepare yourself… Soon, dere be much for ya to do. Don't ya be disappointin' me, Misty!"


	51. A Double Agent's Doubts

The paladin looked around shiftily from her clearing in the forest, making sure nobody would see her or Stefan. She was far enough away that the horn would sound generic – death knights often made use of horns, whether they were free or Scourged. At least, she hoped it would sound generic. The last thing Misty needed was for Drakuru to make the connection between her and any imminent sabotage. She took a deep breath, and sounded the horn. A few moments later, a frost dragon – really more a drake, and a small one at that – landed nearby, with the death knight on his back.

"Well, you survived! I must admit, I'm slightly surprised to see that. Guess the necklace works better than I thought, eh?"

Misty told him about everything she'd seen and heard, but not what she'd felt and thought – that was to be kept private.

"Everything you've reported is consistent with what we know. Learning of Drakuru and earning his trust will lay the groundwork for your future missions. Return to him and do as he says. Do whatever you must to appear sincere, Misty. A great deal is riding upon your performance. This time I'm adding an additional assignment: While you're in the field, pour this additive into their blight cauldrons. It should neutralize the scourging agent and render the batch useless."

The paladin felt quite relieved – finally, she would get to be _useful_ and actually work against the Scourge, rather than just for them. With a feeling of a weight being lifted off her soul, she returned to Voltarus.

"If ya ever gonna be worthy of da Lich King's gifts, ya must learn ta be a great leader - one who be commandin' respect, like me!" Drakuru straightened up for a moment and put a fist over his chest proudly. "I got a task dat gonna refine your command skills, mon... Summa my minions be trained ta harvest blight crystals from da land below, but dey be lazy and slow. You gonna be in charge o' dem, mon. Take dis scepter and teach 'em how to get da job done. When dey be under your control, make 'em harvest dem crystals!"

Misty nodded and took the scepter – it was made of black iron and topped with an iron skull, glowing with evil purple light. "Right away." Panic welled up inside her – she didn't know what to do! If she obviously didn't understand what she was doing, it would be clear that she was a double agent. Or did the Scourge have a learning curve as well? She was about to turn and go, but Drakuru spoke. "Oh, I forgot to tell ya how to use dat scepter! I sure ya could figure it out on yer own, but it be faster if I tell ya. Ya point it at dem and den at da blight crystals and say da magic words – dey should come to ya on their own. If da minions don't work fast enough, smack em wit da scepter, hard. Go make Drakuru proud!"

Misty resisted the urge to sigh with relief. The Scourge didn't instinctively know what to do in all situations – she would be justified in asking. She walked to the green circle and teleported down to the ground. She reached to her belt, behind the sheath of her sword. Good – the additive was still there, well hidden from sight. The knight set about her work. She found a geist and pointed the scepter at it. An odd power coursed through her – both unnerving and rewarding. She then pointed the iron skull toward the bright orange blight pool that surrounded the teleportation platform. Words formed in her mind; without thinking she whispered them, the sounds rolling harshly from her tongue, leaving a bitter taste. "Tor'lithos enthirvash s'varish." It was a dark language – she didn't really understand what the words meant, but they conveyed a _sense_ to her, both an overall feeling of evil and specific concepts – collection, crystals, servitude. The geist moved toward the crystal, but not fast enough. The 'death knight' whacked it sharply with the scepter, in front of the rest of the undead, as an example. The next few obeyed her much more quickly.

The girl scanned the area, noting the locations of the cauldrons. She made sure to choose geists that were near the cauldrons, to have a reason to go near them. As she approached the first one, Misty subtly took the additive out from its safe spot in her belt, keeping it hidden in her hand. She uncorked it carefully – luckily the cork was tied to the bottle so it wouldn't fall off. Appearing to rest her hand on the cauldron while watching the geist hurry off with the crystals, she stealthily poured some of the liquid into the cauldron, before heading to the next one, ordering more geists to collect crystals, wandering about in such a fashion as to appear to be overseeing the work in the area, not making her path between the cauldrons obvious to any of the Scourge in the area.

XXX

"Da crystals be pilin' up like never before! You keep up da good work, Misty! I gonna have more tasks for ya real soon."

"Of course."

XXX

Again, the girl made her way out into the woods. She was nearly caught, but she kept her cool, somehow. She felt as though she was stammering and trembling as she tried to think up an excuse. She wasn't. Her mind was playing more tricks on her than the Scourge were.

"I'm scouting," she snapped, "and, it is _not_ your position to question me, _minion_." She whipped her sword out and the ghoul cowered away from her. "You'd best watch yourself," Misty said, a cruel grin on her face, "or you could end up like him!" She pointed her sword to a skull lying on the ground. "Is that what you want? _Is it?_ No? Then you'll learn not to question your superiors!"

As the ghoul ran away, the girl realized with a chill that she hadn't been scrambling to find the last couple sentences. She hadn't been bluffing the grin either. A terrible thought: what if she was her own enemy? _No,_ she told herself, _I'm just a better actor than I realize. I was getting into character. But I shouldn't get __too__ in character…_ She didn't even dare to think it, but she knew, deep down, that if she got too in character, she might actually start enjoying it. She shuddered as she walked through the woods. She waited a few minutes before blowing the horn – otherwise the ghoul might make the connection. Stefan landed.

"It's done," she told him.

"Fantastic. Diluting those cauldrons will not only save lives, it will slow the growth of the Scourge in this region. Now come, tell me what you've learned of Drakuru's strategy in Zul'Drak."

The death knight leaned forward eagerly to listen to Misty's report. "They're harvesting blight crystals in large numbers. I don't know why. Drakuru had me increasing the efficiency of the operation, and he was thrilled about it – it must be important."

Vadu looked concerned. "What could this scumbag possibly be up to? Clearly, he's working on something significant. Continue to do his bidding and perhaps once he's more familiar with you he'll reveal his plans. In the meantime, we need to have a look at these crystals. While you're in Voltarus, try to get some samples of the harvested crystals when no one's looking."

XXX

The pale girl beamed up into Voltarus yet again. Drakuru turned his head to look at her – he'd been looking the other way, perfect. Misty put on another performance. "Get back here! I did _not_ give you permission to stop harvesting!" She hurried out of Drakuru's line of sight as though chasing something. She glanced around, thinking she was done acting, but noticed that nobody was on one of the balconies. Luck was on her side. She went out onto the balcony and pulled something out of the plane of storage – an old skull she'd taken from a skeleton as a trophy. She put it on the ground in front of her and gave it a sharp, noisy kick, and it fell from the citadel. To those who saw her from outside, it looked as though she was disposing of clutter and trash – the remains of an incompetent minion. To Drakuru, it sounded like she was disciplining an unruly geist and throwing him from the balcony. She could operate in Voltarus without being detected.

She wandered around, being sure to stay out of the troll's sight. Boxes of blight crystals were stacked here and there. Glancing around, she made sure nobody was watching her, before opening one of the boxes and slipping one – just one – crystal into the plane of storage. She took several more, each from different boxes. When she felt she had enough and it wouldn't be safe to take more, she reported to Drakuru. He seemed quite angry.

"_Misty!_ Dis be intolerable, mon! My entire batch of blight be _useless!_" The girl thought she'd been discovered and panic welled up in her. Drakuru continued to rant, "Dat mongrel, Darmuk! He be responsible for watchin' over da blight. He failed me, mon!" Relief washed over the paladin. "Dis be a good lesson for ya, Misty. Failure be like a disease dat spreads. Ya gotta catch it and kill it early, before it be killin' you! Take dis scepter – like da other one. It make my scourged trolls stronger. Use dem ta kill Darmuk. He be lurkin' down below just to da south. _Let dat be an example to all_, mon. Don't be failin' Drakuru!"

XXX

Misty used the scepter – just like the previous one, only orange instead of purple – on a troll, which, in addition to growing in size, began to follow and unquestioningly obey her. She found Darmuk, the plague eruptor, and confronted him, trying to look calm. "You've failed the master, Darmuk. You weren't watching your plague carefully enough. Do you know the price of this failure?"

"Me not see _anybody_ near the cauldrons!"

"_Of course not, you useless twit!_ That is why you're going to pay the price – you failed to catch the culprit." She casually pointed the wand at him, smiling slightly. "Blightgut. Kill him."

"This wrong! Darmuk do good job!" The troll attacked him. Misty didn't even have to get involved. She simply stood back as Darmuk was mauled by his fellow Scourge. The girl let out a callous laugh. After Darmuk ceased to move, she dismissed Blightgut. The few spectators dispersed and went back to their work, leaving Misty alone by the corpse. She was about to leave when she heard a weak voice.

"Darmuk… see… right through… your disguise… fleshling."

"You survived that?" She drew her sword and walked over to the body.

"Me… know. You still… living. You think… this place… pretty. It because… you see… hope? Or because… you want to see… rest of Azeroth… look like this?"

"How dare you," Misty hissed. He'd struck her deep fears precisely.

"Haha… You be… one of us… for real… soon." The girl chopped off the offending head.

_You think this place pretty. It because you see hope? Or because you want to see rest of Azeroth look like this?_ The words cut right into her. No! She didn't think this place was pretty – did she? She looked around. It _was_ hauntingly beautiful, in a tragic way. No, she didn't want to see the rest of the world look like that. He was just screwing with her head. He had to be. It was Scourge propaganda, that was all. How would he have known she thought Zul'drak sadly beautiful? He had to have been guessing. But it was an effective guess; it unnerved her. She gave it no more thought and returned to Voltarus.


	52. A Traitor's Plan

The girl called Vadu down after reporting to the troll. He landed, and much to Misty's surprise, the others followed on skeletal gryphons.

"You've done well. But we still need you in Voltarus. Every task you perform for Drakuru brings you closer to him. However, we need to work against him. I've thought for a long time about this, but there is no way you could sabotage the catapults without making yourself a target. So, we'll have to stage an invasion. You will have to appear to fight back against us. This is our mission; just play along."

Soon, the attack began. The seven other heroes and Stefan Vadu raided the grounds below Voltarus.

"We under attack! Defend yer master, minions!" Scourge alarm calls rang out. Misty stared blankly into space. She was going to fight Ash, Gary, and the rest. Whose side was she on?

Kai turned into his draconic form for this raid. He threw his weight around, breaking things with his tail and rearing up simply to slam his forelegs into the ground. His goal was to create chaos. Starwisp found herself surrounded by three undead trolls. She glanced around, spinning this way and that, lunging randomly with her bladed glove. She couldn't fight in all directions at once. A black dragon's head swung in and threw one of the trolls to the side with a powerful thud. Kai let out a roar.

Ash furiously slashed at anything that came near him, pushing his way to the catapults. Zaraia walked behind him, backing him with magic.

Jessie and her demon were attacked by an abomination, far too powerful for them. They backed away, eyes wide. Brylith lunged with her whip as her master backed away – she was giving everything she had to protect the warlock, but it only made her opponent angry. The abomination roared and swung a giant chain at her; there was a sickening crunch and the succubus was sent flying several yards before slamming into a catapult and slumping to the ground.

Misty had to choose a target; she couldn't stand back. She lunged at James, missing by a few inches. He spun around and brought his runeblade toward her in a wide arc; their weapons collided with a loud clang and the girl nearly lost her grip on the weapon.

There was a huge conflagration as Gary set fire to some of the catapults. He'd gone unnoticed and was doing his best to sabotage the machinery. The inferno caught the attention of several geists and a pair of trolls. He tried to back away – he was surrounded, and even if he blinked away, they would catch him.

The dragon stepped on a troll as he lunged, grabbing a geist in his jaws, then, swinging his head like a wrecking ball, he threw the helpless undead aside. It slammed into Misty, knocking her backwards. A ghoul took over, forcing James backwards.

Another inferno flared up as Meowth thrust a torch into another set of catapults. The battlefield was ablaze in the night's darkness, all orange with firelight. Embers floated into the smoky air.

"Fall back!" Vadu commanded. Ash had reached the last catapults. He protected the elf as she set fire to them. They then retreated.

The attackers vanished as quickly as they had come, and some geists ran after them, but were never seen at Voltarus again. Misty rushed after them and stopped near the edge of the camp. Drakuru had joined her on the ground at some point without being noticed. She turned, hearing someone grunting and shouting angrily. Two trolls, followed by a few geists, held a struggling figure by the arms. Gary fought to get free, but it was no use.

"We captured one of the invaders, master!" a geist gurgled, eye wide as though expecting a reward. Drakuru grinned.

"Here, Misty. A gift!" He held his hand out toward the captured mage, a sadistic grin on his face. "Welcome to the Scourge." Misty stood in front of Gary. He looked up at her, wide eyed. "Go on," Drakuru urged, "kill him! It be your right, go ahead."

"Misty…" the mage whispered, staring up at his beloved, looking betrayed, "You wouldn't…" Her expression didn't change.

"Go on," Drakuru said again. Misty hesitated for a moment, then raised her sword.

"No…" the spellcaster protested weakly, staring at her pleadingly. She then thrust the sword through his chest, all the way through, so the bloody blade protruded from his back. He let out a faint sound, somewhere between a grunt and a cough. Though the sword hadn't hit his heart, he felt it break anyway. Then, he slumped forward as the girl removed her sword. He lay still on the ground.

XXX

Meowth rushed as fast as his short legs would carry him back to the camp. "Guys – guys!" he panted, "You- you're never gonna… believe what I saw… while… staying there to… spy on dem! It-It's Misty! She- Gary- she _killed_ him!"

"_**What?**_" everyone yelped in unison.

"You've got to be mistaken!" Ash protested, "She's in love with him, she would never-"

"Unless she has become the mask, so to speak," James muttered.

"She- _No!_" the warrior snapped, "She wouldn't turn on us! She wouldn't turn against him! Meowth's just tired and seeing things because of it!"

The pokemon shook his head. "No. Saw it clear as day. She stabbed him through the chest; her sword was red and went all the way through. I'm sorry. But dat's what happened."

"We need to recover the body," Stefan stated, "the last thing we need is to give the Scourge more fuel."

"I… thought we could trust her," Zaraia whimpered, "she was the most valiant paladin I've ever known…"

"If the Scourge could take Misty, they could take any one of us. So much for heroic willpower…" Ash hung his head sadly.

"Come," Vadu insisted, "we can mourn your friends later. The longer we leave the body there, the more likely it is to be Scourged."

XXX

"Ya did well, Misty!" Drakuru said, "I be so proud of ya! So, so proud! Well, ya proven yourself, now. It be time we start our march to Gundrak, mon. It be time for me ta turn ya loose on dem trolls! Dey breached our wall and put a whole army just north of us. Hahaha! Dey be fuel for da fire, mon! We gunna take da chieftiains an' kill da rest! It all be part of my master plan…

You take dis scepter and go command my abominations. Bring 'em to da Drakkari army and kill em all! When da chieftains come, my pet Shalewing gunna snatch 'em up and bring 'em here to me."

XXX

Misty stood on a pointed rock, her black cape flapping dramatically as she watched the chaos below her. The green, glowing scepter was in one hand, runeblade in the other. Abomination lumbered forward at her command, clashing with ice trolls, mowing them down. The chieftans came forward to aid their people, but were carried away by a gargoyle. When the trolls stopped coming, Misty dismissed the abominations and returned to Voltarus.

"We done it, mon! I got da chieftains all caged up and you led my abominations to victory over their armies. It be time ta celebrate, mon! You be unlivin' proof dat I got an eye for talent! Now ya see why da Lich King gave me his blessing...

Da time has come for me to reveal my master plan to ya, mon. Now you be seein' how we gunna sweep through da swarms of Drakkari trolls to take our rightful place in da great palace of Gundrak. Take dis scepter, mon. It be a token of my trust in ya. With it, you be able ta access my upper chamber and witness for yourself our secret weapons. Ya deserve it." The troll patted the girl on the back. He was very proud of her. She walked to a different teleporter, and was beamed up to a new chamber she hadn't seen before. It was a huge room, with orange blight crystals everywhere. Around the edges of the sunken circular pit in the middle of the room, huge orange trolls were chained to the wall. A skeleton stood waiting for the girl.

"Ahh, there you are. Master said you would be coming soon. Come, there is much to see." He gestured for her to follow him. "You should feel very honored, Misty. You are the first of the master's prospects to be shown our operation. Now, the things I show you must never be spoken of outside of Voltarus. The world will find out soon enough."

"Of course. My lips are sealed."

XXX

Starwisp carried the limp mage back to the camp while the others protected her. Back at the Ebon Watch, she checked for a pulse.

"_By Elune, he's alive!_" A general cheer rose up as everyone grinned, glad to hear they hadn't lost him too. "She must have missed his vital organs – a one in a million chance, that! Lucky mage. Someone, I need something to use as a bandage; Gary needs immediate medical attention or he _will_ die."

XXX

"Here are the blight crystals, without which, our project would not be possible. I understand that you are to thank for the bulk of our supply." Malmortis turned and pointed at the trolls chained to the wall below them. These trolls are among those you exposed on the battlefield. Masterfully done, indeed… We feel it best to position them here, where they might come in terms with their impending fate. This is their destiny…" The skeleton turned to the girl and stared with empty sockets into her eyes. "The blight slowly seeps into their bodies, gradually preparing them for their conversion. This special preparation grants them unique powers far greater than they would otherwise know. Soon, the master will grant them the dark gift, making them fit to serve the Lich King for eternity!

Stay for as long as you like, Misty. Glory in the fruits of your labor! Your service has been invaluable in fulfilling the master's plan. May you forever grow in power. Farewell." The skeleton turned and left.

The girl in black armor stood there to think for a few minutes before returning to Drakuru. "So, there ya have it, mon. We be makin' da ultimate scourge army ta serve da Lich King. He gunna be most pleased! You keep da scepter, Misty. You gunna be needin' it ta command my army in battle… Soon!"


	53. Traitor

James jumped to his feet and whipped his blade out. The others spun around to look. A girl in black armor was approaching them. Ash whipped his swords out and tackled her to the ground. He put his swords against her throat.

"Damn you, Misty! I thought you were on _our_ side!"

"Ash, wait, I can explain!"

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses! _I'm going to kill you for this! __**Traitor!**_" She threw him off with a kick to the stomach just as he tried to slice into her neck.

"_I can explain!_" Misty got to her feet.

"Don't. We all know whose side you're on, now. I thought you were my friend." She and Ash circled one another like wolves about to fight, swords out.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ash, but I will if you make me! First things first though! Is Gary okay? You helped him, didn't you?"

"_Is he okay? __**You**__ nearly killed him! Yeah, we know about that! Don't pretend anymore, we know the truth!_"

"Ash, stop!" Starwisp said.

"_No! She'll pay for this!_"

"Get a hold of yourself, warrior! Keep your fury under control!" the death knight exclaimed.

"Why should I?"

"Damn it, Ash, don't let rage cloud your vision!" Zaraia shouted.

He let out something between a sigh and a growl. "Fine. Misty, you better have a _damn_ good explanation…"

"Is Gary okay?"

"He should recover. Now _talk_."

"I… had to. Drakuru was looking right at me. He was encouraging me to kill Gary…" The paladin hung her head. "I-I feel so sorry! I didn't have a choice… I had to make it look like I killed him, so I could convince Drakuru that I was really on his side… I feel horrible… I tried to miss anything that would really hurt Gary, but I was so worried that I'd injured him for real."

"How could you not have injured him? _You impaled him with a sword,_" Ash pointed out. A small grin spread over his face, making it clear he was teasing her now. She sighed in relief that he was forgiving.

"Well, if he'll recover…"

"He's over here," Starwisp said, smiling, "I know you want to see him…"

The paladin went over to where the night elf was standing. The mage was unconscious by the campfire, his own cape draped over him as a blanket.

"Let me see the wound," Misty said. Starwisp removed the cloak. Gary's tunic was already off, and there was a piece of purple cloth tied tightly around his lower chest as a makeshift bandage. The paladin tried to heal him – to her surprise, no light surrounded her hands.

"You are in the form of a death knight," James stated, "I don't think you can use holy spells."

"Hm." Misty reached up to the necklace, about to take it off. Ash stopped her.

"Don't. If you take it off and put it back on, you might look slightly different – we don't want Drakuru to figure it out. Gary will be fine. You can heal him later."

A new thought dawned on the girl. She hung her head sadly. "He'll never forgive me for this."

"Oh, I'm sure he will," the warrior said, grinning.

"I hope so…"

"Well, it's good to hear you're still on our side," Stefan said, "Your information has been valuable to us, and you are a strong fighter in our ranks.

I believe it is time to end your double agentry, now. We must bring Drakuru down and bring his project to an end before his freaks are unleashed. I've modified your scepter for the job. When the time is right, you will be able to use it on Drakuru's Blightbloods and turn them against him. It's your only hope of defeating him.

Fight well."

"I will. I can't wait to feel my body in its normal state again. I'm sick of feeling dead."

"Now you know what I have to deal with," James muttered.

Misty nodded and turned. She walked off in a random direction, to later come to Voltarus from an unsuspicious angle.

After the girl was gone, Zaraia looked at Ash questioningly. "Do you trust her?"

He folded his arms over his chest. "Not sure. We'll have to wait and find out where her loyalties lie. She could be a _triple_ agent. I'm not sure anymore. I want to believe her, but we should keep our eyes on her anyway." The others nodded.

XXX

"Misty! I been awaitin' your return! What be takin' so long, mon?"

"I had to punish some geists."

"Dem minions not disciplined yet? Ah well. It don't matter. Da time has come to complete da conversion of da Blightbloods!

Join me, and witness da creation of our army!"

"It is an _honor_, Lord Drakuru." The girl grinned darkly. "This land shall belong to the Lich King – and to us!"

"Dat's da spirit." The troll used a charm of some sort to create a portal. Misty followed him through it and found herself on top the citadel. The orange blight trolls she'd seen earlier were standing around the edge of the platform. "Behold! We be creatin' the greatest Scourge army ever seen!" Drakuru turned away from Misty and looked out over the land below, hands clasped behind his back. "Dese be da first of many. We shall sweep across Zul'Drak like da wind…"

"I'm afraid not, my Lord." The troll's head whipped around to stare at the girl, just as she removed the necklace. She appeared to 'heal' very rapidly, returning to her living form, her armor changing to its normal gold and silver, her cape regaining its blue color.

"_What treachery is this! You shall pay for this deceit wit your life!_"

Misty spun around and pointed the Scourge scepter at one of the Blightblood trolls. The paladin spun the scepter around to point straight at Drakuru. "Attack!" In one fluid motion she slipped the scepter into her belt and unsheathed her sword. She pulled her shield out of the plane of storage and took up a battle stance.

The blighted troll lumbered forward to attack. Drakuru cast a shadowbolt at it, backing away.

"Your betrayal not gonna be slowin' me down _none!_" the Overlord growled. He threw a blight crystal furiously at the paladin. She raised her shield and it bounced off, shattering and creating a noxious cloud of poison. Misty hurried to get away from it. She called her Vaporeon out.

Drakuru was knocked to the ground by the Blightblood. The orange troll slammed a fist into the floor, and the ice troll dodged barely. He scooted quickly back, avoiding another fist. A hammer of Light struck him. Yes! She still had her holy powers! Drakuru forced himself to his feet. He slammed the blight troll with another shadowbolt, then tossed another blight crystal at the paladin. "I never needed ya, mon! I can crush Zul'Drak without ya!"

Vaporeon let out a high pressure stream of water at the crystal, knocking it off its trajectory. Drakuru took a step back. He was outnumbered, three to one! _One at a time,_ he told himself. He tackled the blight troll, but it didn't move. He was regretting creating such large beasts. It swatted him into the air, but he managed to somehow land on his feet. He cast a shadowbolt and began casting another when holy light seared his flesh. He winced and backed away. "I gotta say, I admire yer strength, Misty! Too bad yer on da wrong side…"

Misty grinned. "No, Drakuru. It's you who is on the wrong side." For once, she felt she could say that with certainty. _She was on the side of good._

Vaporeon blasted the ice troll with cold water again, just as he was about to strike the Bloodblight. He reeled back, unable to see through the torrent of water. A fist missed him by mere inches. He leapt out of the way. He turned his sight toward the water pokemon. The annoying little creature had to die! He swing his fist at the pokemon, and she was just able to avoid the blow by jumping. She landed and was about to turn around when Drakuru's other fist came around and sent the creature flying. She slammed into a pillar of stone and crumpled to the ground. The paladin pointed her sword at Drakuru and a bolt of holy power jumped from the blade to his body like lightning between wires. He lunged at her, but the Blightblood rammed him. He landed near the edge of the citadel, rolled, and slid.

His feet went over the edge of Voltarus. He scrambled to get back up. Misty drove her sword into the stone where his hand was, but he yanked it out of the way just in time. As it turned out, she hadn't needed to strike his hand – the roof of Voltarus began to crack and glow.

"How could dis be? Da Lich King said he be havin' great plans for you, Misty…"

"The Light has great plans for me as well," she responded, as he had almost hauled himself up. He had one knee on the edge of the citadel. The Blightblood slammed a fist into Drakuru. He cried out and pulled himself up, barely avoiding an attack from the paladin's sword. He threw a blight crystal down at his feet. It shattered and let out more of the orange vapors. Misty was forced to back away, coughing.

"Ya done turned your back on your destiny, mon. Now you gonna die for it!" Drakuru attacked the Blightblood with a shadowbolt. They were so close to the edge of the citadel. The orange troll stepped back, trying to find a better angle to attack from. Drakuru took advantage of this, slamming into his creation while his fists eminated shadow energy. The powerful magic attack was enough to force the beast off the edge of the citadel. It tumbled down to its demise. Drakuru grinned and chuckled darkly, glaring directly at Misty.

"It be one on one now, girl."

"A welcome challenge," she responded, grinning. Before Drakuru was expecting it, she charged, shield out in front of her, glowing with holy light. He was knocked backwards onto the floor. Misty reached for her scepter to enslave one of the other Blightbloods, but Drakuru reached up and cast a shadowbolt at it. It flew across the citadel and shattered against a pillar.

"I dun think so, mon."

"If that's the way you want to do this, very well!" Misty tried to drive her sword into his chest, but he rolled out of the way and onto his feet. A hammer of light fell from the sky and struck him powerfully. He shook his head and charged at the paladin. Bringing his arm around in a wide arc, he sent her flying. It was her turn to nearly fall to her death. He rushed over to her and tried to step on her hands. She stared up with wide eyes – the _fear_ in them thrilled him. She was left hanging by one hand, a hand that was slipping. A blast of holy light sent him flying back and she was able to pull herself halfway up before he returned.

"I grow tired of dis, mon!" He slammed his fist right into her back, denting her armor. She screamed as the impact coursed through her body, but did not let go. He put his foot back to kick her off the edge and brought it forward, only to slam into a bubble of light. Misty grinned through the pain and pulled herself the rest of the way up in one motion. She slashed his chest with her sword.

"_Enough!_" he roared, "Dis foolish treachery has cost ya yer destiny!"

A dark portal opened and _Arthas_ walked out of it.

"Master, dis mortal scum be double-crossin' us! She must be made to suffer!"

Misty gasped. The Lich King turned to her. She froze like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck. To her surprise, he turned back to Drakuru and pointed Frostmourne at him.

"_It is __**you**__ who has failed me, Drakuru…It is __**you**__ who should suffer. Be content that your death is a quick one…_" A bolt of blue light came from his runeblade and struck the troll with such intensity that he literally _exploded_. Arthas turned toward Misty and stared right into her eyes. "_As for you… I spare your __**insignificant**__ life as a __**reward**__ for this __**amusing**__ betrayal. There may yet be… __**a shred of **__**potential**____in you…_"

Misty was frozen. She could not run. She could not scream. She wanted nothing but to get away from there. But she was trapped, locked in the Lich King's terrifying gaze.

"_Be warned…When next we meet, I shall require much more to justify your life!_" Arthas turned and disappeared through the portal he'd come in through.

Misty dropped to her hands and knees. She stayed there for a long time; how long, she was not certain. _There may yet be a shred of potential in you_. What had he meant? Suddenly the goodness she had been so certain of was not so sure. She knelt there, thinking, wide eyed. Then, _No,_ she told herself, _I __**will**__ not fall. I will __**not**__ give in._ She rose to her feet, as a wind picked up, blowing her cape around. She looked around. Three other mindless Blightbloods stood on the roof. She killed them with no resistance. Behind one, she found her unconscious pokemon. She picked up the vaporeon and healed her, then put her back in her pokeball.

The paladin looked around for a way out, but was distracted by something more interesting: Drakuru's body was scattered around. His skull was nearby. She walked over to it, and picked it up. Something fell from it. A dark purple gem? She picked that up too. The blast had been so powerful as to solidify Drakuru's last wish! Misty _felt_ the troll's last thought: _Anywhere but here!_ The gem disintegrated in her hand, and she found herself in the woods just outside the Scourged land under Voltarus.


	54. Forgive Me

When the paladin returned, the mage was gone. A healing potion had given him the strength not only to wake up, but to stand and walk. Despite protests by the others, he'd stubbornly gotten up, put on his tunic, and wandered away into the forest. After Misty presented the head of Drakuru to Stefan, and after the others stopped cheering for her and hugging her, she simply wandered away in search of the young wizard.

At last she found him. "Gary…"

He looked over his shoulder and glared at her, hurt. "What are you doing here? Get away from me! _Get out of my sight and never return!_" he shouted, furious.

"Please, let-"

"_I never want to see your face again!_ I **thought** I could **trust** you…"

"_I'm sorry!_" The paladin hung her head. "I did what I had to."

"Go. Get out of here."

"… At least let me heal you – fix the damage I have done… and then I will leave…" There was defeat and surrender in her voice.

Gary hesitated. "…Put your sword on the ground." Misty took off her entire weapons-belt, and set it on the ground. She took off her cape as well, to show that she had nothing to hide. Completely unarmed, she walked over to him. Her hands glowed with soft golden light and the tingling sensation of healing coursed through the mage's chest. He nodded a bit – a thank you?

He walked away again, taking off his tunic. "Ugh. Gotta get this damn bandage _off_ of me…" He began trying to untie it. It was clear why it was uncomfortable – it was very tight, and probably caused a little difficulty breathing. It felt bad enough, at the very least, that it was this high of a priority even with his distrust of the girl.

He struggled with it a bit but couldn't quite get it undone. "Here… Let me get it." He glanced over at her suspiciously, but nodded. As she was untying it, she explained why she had attacked him, the words coming tiredly from deep within her like a confession. "I'm so sorry for what I did… I didn't have a choice… I had to appear to kill you, to keep Drakuru's trust. If I hadn't, my cover would have been blown and they would have killed us both for real…" The bandage came off, and the wound under it was completely gone. The paladin blushed faintly and looked away – it felt indecent to stare at him, despite his surprisingly nice build – slender, but lightly muscled; not at _all_ unfit, at least, not for a spellcaster. No, she shouldn't think about him that way, not now! She forced herself to focus on the issue at hand and continued looking the other way as Gary put his tunic back on. "If you never trust me again, you're perfectly justified in it. If you hate me for the rest of your life, I understand. I know this is more than is right for me to ask, but… Can you ever forgive me?"

The mage looked at her thoughtfully. "I already do." He hugged her. "I'm sorry. I should have realized that you had no choice."

"No… You had a right to hate me. In your position, I would hate me, too…"

Gary just shook his head and smiled.

XXX

The heroes gazed around in awe as they rode into Crystalsong. It was eerily beautiful; a purple forest made of crystals, all lightly glowing in the still air. The forest's name was appropriate – the crystals resonated and seemed to sing. Starwisp and Kai kept their heads down the entire time.

"What's with you two?" the warrior asked, riding alongside them.

"This is hallowed ground, Ash," the night elf said, gravely, "Do not disrespect the Kaldorei and dragons that lost their lives here."

The others looked at her and nodded solemnly. The hooves, claws, and paws of the animals crunched lightly against the ground. Here and there, there were rifts in the ground, from which arcane energy poured in a brilliant lightshow. Ruins were scattered about, elven in appearance – somewhat between night elf and blood elf, yet different from both of them.

"There," Misty whispered, pointing at one of the ruins. Gary was the only one close enough to hear her, and he looked curiously at whatever had so interested the girl. A ghostly figure wandered along the edge of the ruined building, just outside its walls. She appeared to be a night elf, with soft green hair and refined features. She was riding a spectral tiger, as pale a shade of blue as the spirit wolf that followed her. She had apparently been a ranger in life, but now she wandered the land that served as her grave.

Gary continued to look thoughtfully at the ghostly elf. "What happened here, anyway?" he asked.

"The War of the Ancients," Starwisp replied, "over ten thousand years ago."

"Whoa," Ash muttered.

"So that girl over there has been dead for over ten thousand years," Gary muttered. "That's long enough ago that she could be directly related to Starwisp _and_ Zaraia."

"_You dare suggest we share common blood?_" the mage cried out, indignant and furious.

"Well, you are a blood elf, so you were a high elf at some point, since the Third War only occurred about a decade ago. That means you're decended from the Highborne night elves. These were Highborne, weren't they?"

"I doubt I am of Highborne blood – they typically didn't mingle with 'common' folk," Starwisp began, and Zaraia interrupted her.

"Which proves, _yet again,_ that I am simply _better_ than you are."

"Zaraia!" Ash snapped.

"**Anyway**," the night elf continued, as they rode on past some very large ruins, "during the War of the Ancients, this was a thriving Kaldorei town called Shandaral, until…"

"Until the dragons destroyed the forest," Kai finished for the elf, "Neltharion's Blackflight clashed with the Blueflight here, long ago." The boy didn't look at anyone, ashamed by his flight's behavior. "We- _they_ slaughtered the blues, and their magic filled the air. A blue sorcerer cast a spell to turn the blacks to stone, but the magic in the air caused it to misfire and the entire forest was turned into what you see today…"

"The elves were killed by the marauding dragons and by the spell," Starwisp concluded, "the forest turned to crystal, and the Blackflight has not been welcome since."

The death knight looked at the great ruins next to them. Night elf spirits filled the buildings. Druids, warriors, hunters… All talking, laughing, patrolling, playing. They were going about their lives from ten thousand years prior. Perhaps they did not even know they were dead. What a fate that was. James lost himself in thought.

For once, they stopped in a Horde encampment. It was a reversal of the usual; Zaraia felt at home and the others felt oddly misplaced. The Sunreavers glared at them, but didn't attack. Starwisp in particular was the target of hostilities – racial slurs, insults, spits in her direction, hisses. The night elf just snorted and pointed her nose skyward.

"Hey," Gary said, "it's that druid from Blade's Edge!" The mage pointed at a tauren in a familiar, faded Horde tabard. The old druid turned and looked at the largely Alliance-based group in the encampment and recognized them nearly immediately.

"Ah, I've been expecting you to show up some time," Rocman told them, "I have heard of your exploits. And I see you, mage, are no longer a whelp." The druid smiled.

Gary winced at the memory. Ash snickered. Misty smacked him lightly on the back of the head. She then spoke to the tauren. "Why have you been expecting us? Did you come here looking for us?"

"I did. Specifically, for you, young paladin."

"Huh?"

"Word of this group's great deeds has spread quickly. When I heard that you were in Northrend, fighting the Scourge, I decided to come here to wait for you, and to possibly get involved in the war effort, myself."

"But why have you been waiting for us?" Jessie asked.

"Because I have a gift that I believe may help you." Rocman pulled something out of a storage plane – a shiny, pale gold piece of metal, shaped like a highly stylized female eye: a frame in a rounded diamond shape, with a disk in the middle, and a triangular protrusion from the side, like eyelashes. "This is an amulet of An'she, the Eye of the Earthmother. It is made of a very rare and difficult to obtain metal known as Brightstone – known for having unpredictable effects on the undead; it is very holy. The amulet was given to me by an old teacher of mine, but I thought it would do more good in the hands of a young paladin and her friends than in the pocket of a tired old druid."

"But why me?" Misty asked.

"Because you've already proven yourself. Your name, like those of your friends, is often heard on the streets, both of the Horde and the Alliance. The eight of you are heroes, more well known than you realize. Here. Take the amulet of An'she. It will help you on your travels."

The paladin took the amulet, and asked, embarrassed, "What… do I do with it?"

Rocman smiled. "Place it on your weapon."

The others watched in fascination as Misty put the Eye of the Earthmother on her sword hilt – rather, she moved it toward the hilt, and suddenly it leapt from her hand and, with a click of metal on metal, simply stuck to the place where hilt and blade met, as though magnetically attracted to it.

XXX

After spending some time in the blood elf camp, the group continued on, toward Dalaran.

"Look, over there!" Ash exclaimed, excitedly. The others looked but did not see what had so excited him. It looked to just be a Horde adventuring party. Suddenly, Gary realized why the warrior was so thrilled: the flaming horse was _not_ a warlock's mount – the body was tan and it had a horn on its forehead! It was a rapidash!

"Other Lost!" the mage said, already snapping the reins and pulling his horse into a trot, "C'mon, let's go talk to them!"

"Gary, wait! They're Horde-" Starwisp protested, but it was too late. The Kanto humans were already off at top speed toward their fellows, overjoyed to see others of their kind.

"Hey, you on the rapidash! Wait up!" the warrior called out. The Horde adventurers stopped.

"Hey," the girl on the pokemon said, "that's a pikachu! You're from our world!"

"My name's Ash," the warrior introduced himself, dismounting. There were four humans in the other group, as well as a troll, an undead, and an orc. The Horde adventurers seemed slightly baffled by this sudden bout of friendliness between factions.

The blonde girl with short hair and bright green eyes hopped off of her rapidash. She was dressed in the robes of a priestess. "My name is Wendy. Pleased to meet you."

Most of the others were riding wolves. The three humans dismounted and called out their pokemon, waiting for the heroes to do the same.

The handsome boy with dark red hair and a blood colored headband called out a charmeleon. The young paladin was dressed in the black and red armor (right down to the phoenix tabard) of a Blood Knight – an order of elven paladins that Zaraia was very familiar with. He had a confident but not unfriendly grin on his face. "Name's Rex. Glad to finally see some fellow trainers."

Gary introduced himself and his absol, returning the cocky smirk. Ash whispered to Misty, "I foresee an ego clash. This ought to be good."

The next boy to introduce himself was dressed oddly – he was barefoot, wearing a leather robe with several chains of metal squares and beads sewn into it in elegant patterns under a blue overskirt. Several inch-long totem-looking objects hung around his neck. He had shaggy brown hair and tired grey eyes. The boy had several blue and gold feathers tucked behind his ears, presumably attached to the leather headband that was hardly visible under his long hair. He looked about seventeen. "My name's William. My pokemon didn't come through the portal with me…"

"So, we are not alone in that," James muttered. The warlock nodded.

"Ours didn't get through either. I'm Jessie – that's James."

"Hey, don't I count?" Meowth muttered.

"You're a part of the team – you're not one of _our_ pokemon, per se," the death knight explained, "You don't _belong_ to either one of us."

"Greetings, fellow warlock," the remaining trainer said. She was wearing a black robe and had long, straight, dark burgundy hair and brown eyes. "I'm Mary." She called out her espeon.

"You have an eevee evolution too," the paladin girl stated, calling out her vaporeon, "I'm Misty."

"I see faction boundaries have dropped suddenly, judging by your shield," the undead woman stated.

"We have no hatred for the Horde – well, none of us but Starwisp," the dragon boy stated, "I'm Kai, by the way."

"It's good to see other members of the Horde – I've been in nothing but Alliance settlements forever, it seems," the blood elf said, "I'm Zaraia."

The blue-haired undead in black leather got off her skeletal horse. The thick, black cape that had been obscuring her lower face slid down now that she was no longer looking toward the ground. "Lorien Shadowgrave, pleased to meet some living humans that do not shun me."

"Of course not," James said.

Starwisp noticed the troll and orc had not yet said anything. "Do the others even speak common?" she asked disdainfully.

"_Yes,_" the orc growled at her.

"Ignore Starwisp," Zaraia told him, "she's always like this." The night elf snorted.

The green-skinned warrior glared at the huntress, but introduced himself anyway, letting the insult slide, he properly greeted the adventurers. "Thrall-hall. I am Kroll. I have heard your names spoken with reverence, even in such cities as Orgrimmar. I am honored to meet such great fighters."

"Ya, mon," the troll agreed. Misty winced a bit at his accent – it reminded her of Drakuru and the times she would rather forget. This was, however, not an ice troll like Drakuru, but a jungle troll – a Darkspear. He wore a tigerskin cloak over the outfit of green and brown scales, laid over leather and trimmed with fur. He lightly stroked his raptor's head as he spoke. "I be Zin'ja. I think, now da introductions are done, it be time to tell ya where we be goin', case ya be interested. We be on our way to Naxxramas in da Dragonblight. Will ya come wit' us?"

"Take out a major stronghold of the Scourge? Of course – depriving Arthas of his reserve forces would be a good thing to do if we are ever to defeat him," the death knight said.

"It's settled then," Rex stated, "the Alliance people will come with us. That makes fifteen of us to raid Naxxramas."


	55. Naxxramas: The Construct Wing

The raiders flew the borrowed gryphons from the Alliance town below to the great Scourge citadel of Naxxramas. They entered swiftly and silently. They found themselves in combat nearly immediately. The abominations lumbered forward over the grillwork that narrowly separated the fighters from glowing green goo. A dagger flipped through the air and thumped right into one of their faces. Lorien rushed forward to recover her thrown knife, boldly running right up to the abomination, jumping, and grabbing the weapon. Blue and gold lightning lit the chamber as Pikachu and Will attacked. Arrows thumped into flesh as the troll and night elf attacked.

"I declare a contest," Starwisp said, firing another arrow, "to see who can kill more!" The troll's skill clearly made her feel uncomfortable, as though her perceived superiority were being challenged.

"A contest, mon? Haha, I can beat you any day o' da week, elf!"

The group continued fighting its way through the masses of abominations. The warlocks were observing one another's styles as they went. While Jessie focused more on shadowbolts and hellfire, Mary was far more passive – preferring to draw strange runes in the air with her dagger, cutting through empty space to create purple rifts. These glyphs would, when finished, fly through space like spells and cause lasting harm to the target.

Her espeon proved quite useful – as a psychic type, it was strong against the undead. A purple glow surrounded it and occasionally flew out toward the abominations, draining their life.

Misty and Wendy both stood back to heal their friends, watching as the leaders competed. While Gary and Rex had not officially declared a contest like Starwisp and Zin'ja had, they were clearly trying to outdo one another – their egos were both too large to be in each other's presence and had formed a rivalry quite quickly. The Blood Knight was a far more aggressive paladin than Misty was, as his handling of both his spear and his pokemon showed. He was less about healing and holy smiting, and more about retaliation and defense.

Rather than challenging each other, Ash and Kroll teamed up, tearing great swaths through the abominations.

An abomination's chain sent Rex's charmeleon flying, crashing into Zaraia. It picked itself up quickly and struck back with a fire blast. A whinny echoed through the room as the rapidash slammed its hooves down on an undead construct.

Kai soon turned to his dragon form, causing mild panic among the Hordeside adventurers, but they were quickly reassured as the drake clamped his jaws down on an abomination that was about to attack the death knight.

Zin'ja's raptor – both his mount and his war companion – was about to rip into the monster before it, which had been crippled by Lorien and Gary's absol, when Aeroth swooped down and stole her kill! She snapped at the bird but missed.

"Moh'ra! Come!" the troll commanded. The raptor obeyed. Ash had struck down the last of those abominations. The fifteen raiders continued into a hallway overrun with oozes, which moved from the poison channel on one side to the slime on the other.

"Watch out," Lorien warned, "these are very deadly. Don't let them touch you." The rogue proceeded to dance past the oozes, which didn't seem to notice or care that she was there, and continued to slink around aimlessly. Zaraia blinked across, followed quickly by Gary. Wendy mounted her rapidash and backed it up. The speedy pokemon took a running jump and cleared the oozes easily. James had no trouble getting past – with his agility, it was little more than a game.

Ash was not so lucky. He was close to the end of the ooze hall; he turned to avoid one ooze, and nearly ran into another that he had not seen. He tripped and would have fallen to a poisonous death, but the fire mage grabbed his arm and yanked him aside.

"About time I got to pay you back for all the times you saved my life," Gary muttered, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his soul. He didn't owe Ash anything anymore.

"Thanks…" the warrior mumbled, dazed.

Aeroth flew across and flopped onto the ground at the warrior's feet. Starwisp made a bit of a spectacle of elegantly crossing the ooze trap, clearly showing off in front of Zin'ja, trying to prove her superiority. He was just as athletic and crossed quickly after her, irritated by her show. He turned and slapped his thighs to call his raptor. She darted over to him.

This went on until everyone had crossed but the Blood Knight.

"Hey, Rex!" Gary taunted, "Gonna join us over here some time today? I mean, even _Ash_ made it across – if he can do it, _anyone_ can. You're not gonna let this loser show you up, are you?"

The paladin boy snorted. "Of course not! You don't think I'm afraid, do you? Hah! I was just… observing the ooze movement patterns."

"If you're not afraid, join us over here," Wendy said, smiling. Rex took a deep breath and crossed the ooze hall, nearly getting trapped at one point, but pulling through. His pokemon followed him.

They continued down a hall edged by pools of green slime. Ahead, there was a massive, grey abomination. James recognized it instantly.

"Patchwerk…" A nasty grin slid across the death knight's face. He raised his voice: "Hey, Patch… playtime!" The abomination turned around.

"Death knight want to play with Patch? Yay!" The childish words spoken by a gurgling, gravelly voice sounded quite disturbing.

"Yeah, play with _this!_" Rex taunted, impaling the abomination with his ranseur.

Aeroth flew overhead and attacked Patchwerk's head. The eeveelutions pounded the creature with their elemental attacks.

The rapidash stood nobly by its trainer as she helped Misty to keep the fighters alive. The firey horse pointed its horn at the abomination and cast a beam of flames from it.

Ash, James, Kroll, and Rex fought to keep the monster from attacking their friends. The death knight's runeblade suddenly began to glow, as all his runes burst into blue fire, and he drove the blade into Patchwerk. Smoke and steam poured out as though the knight had dipped a red hot knife into water. The warrior let out a battle cry. Patchwerk slammed a chain into the paladin boy, sending him flying. A bubble of light formed around him and he bounced harmlessly off the ground, getting up again when he'd slowed down.

Wind howled around the shaman as he remained detachedly calm. The wind formed blades and sliced into the monster before the heroes. Kroll's two-handed sword cut deep gashes in the giant Scourge creation as he fought.

Zin'ja fired arrow after arrow while his raptor worked to undo stitches in the monster's leg. Patchwerk picked up the dinosaur by the neck. She struggled but could not get free. Patchwerk poked her sharply and grinned. "Yum yum!"

The absol took a running jump and clamped onto the abomination's arm. He dropped the raptor and tried to shake the pokemon off, but was distracted by the blood elf's arcane spells.

Lorien sliced the monster apart from behind. Gary cast fireballs toward his opponent. Hammers of light struck the abomination even as it withered from the warlocks' curses and dark spells. Charmeleon roasted flesh with dragonlike fire breath. Kai imitated the attack, flapping his wings to fan the fire.

Gary cast a pyroblast right into the abomination's face. This was the killing shot – the abomination roared and waved its arms. Lorien darted out of the way as it fell backwards.

"What happen to… Patch…?"

The group suddenly realized the reason they had felt so chilled through the whole fight. They had been hearing – without noticing – screams. Distant screams, those of young women and children.

"_Help me!_"

"_Momma!_"

"_Make it stop!_"

It was only now that they could hear the voices clearly.

"What- What is it? Are they torturing people?" Jessie asked.

"I don't know," James replied, "Sounds like it."

Wendy shuddered. "Let's continue. Maybe we can free them." The raiders continued into a chamber full of flesh giants. Combat erupted once more. People were thrown about, slamming into the ground or walls. The mages found they couldn't handle the rough treatment and retreated to join the healers, where they simply tried to keep their friends alive by slowing their falls with magic.

Zin'ja hopped up onto a fallen flesh giant and put an arrow through the skull of a second giant. Remembering his contest with the night elf, he called out, "six!"

The last couple giants went down and the heroes were regrouping when a monster unlike any they'd seen before rushed in. It was no more than a prototype for a scrapped idea, but Grobbulus was no less deadly for that. The monster had no face, only tubes running throughout the body and head. Its legs and one arm were mechanical, and the other arm had an ooze-filled syringe instead of a hand.

Grobbulus rushed the group, and they scattered. The prototype chased after Kroll, needle raised, leaving clouds of poison gas behind it.

"Burn the clouds!" Gary instructed. The warlocks, Zaraia, Kai, and the fire pokemon joined him. The screams continued in the background, piercing the air – Grobbulus was silent, save for the pounding of feet on the floor.

The stone that made the floor rose up in spikes, guided by the hand of the shaman. Starwisp and Zin'ja fired arrows at the monster. Each arrow, while hurting the monster, caused more poison gas to fill the air, keeping the fire users busy. Meowth joined in with his shortbow. Pikachu and the eeveelutions attacked from afar.

Ash stood back, helpless, as his fellow warrior ran. The syringe slammed into the ground, missing the orc by mere inches. Lorien and James joined the trainer at the back of the room, also unable to do much. Wendy shackled Grobbulus, but the chains of light didn't last long. It was just enough to allow Kroll to escape.

Grobbulus came toward the healers. Misty attacked, even while running away. Wendy threw white fire at the flesh giant, also fleeing. Rex rushed in between the healers and the monster. He stood back, thrusting his spear at it.

"Come on, brute, come on!" He taunted, "That all you got? Come on!" Grobbulus lunged at him with the needle and was blocked by a pillar of stone that leapt up from the floor. Rex scrambled backwards. The flames still raged as the casters continued to burn the poison gas that seeped endlessly from the monster.

The others that had not been able to fight joined Rex in taunting the monster and backing away, leading it around the room. Misty joined them, using her shield to help protect her fellow paladin. The ranged attackers continued their assault. Starwisp's arrow tore a tube partially out of the prototype, and gas poured out. The fire casters ran to the other side of the monster, burning the gas as quickly as they could. Another arrow ripped the 'face' open the rest of the way. Flailing, the giant struck out randomly with his syringe as he died. It was this flurry of jabs and clouds of poison that caused the fighters to scatter yet again. Kai's dragonfire ignited this cloud in a massive inferno, until the fuel ran out. Starwisp's burnt arrows were still embedded in the tubes.

"Seven," she said.

"What? Dat one don't count, mon!" the troll replied angrily.

"Yeah it does." The raiders climbed the ramp in front of them to keep above any remaining poison clouds and sat down to recover as the mages handed out food and water. After recovering, Gary led the group on – he beat Rex to it. He walked out onto a balcony and looked around.

"Come on, this way!" He jumped down and landed on a wide metal pipe. Balancing carefully, he walked along it. He heard the hollow clang of others landing on the tube behind him, one by one. Instead of following the pipe its full length, he turned, climbing into a crusty green tunnel.

The screaming continued, closer now.

"_Help me! No, no! Make it stop!_"

"_Stop, please, stop!_"

The heroes shuddered, but continued. They gathered at the end of the tube.

"What is _that?_" Mary asked. Below them was a great monster, a beast made of stitched together flesh, bone, and steel. It was brown and green, with bone sticking out of its tight flesh.

"_That_ is Gluth, the plague dog," James replied. "He is always hungry; those undead that are not considered strong enough to serve the Lich King – if not killed in death knight initiation rituals – are fed to him. He is the first of his kind, though they have made more since, I hear."

"First to be born, first to die," Ash said. He jumped down. The others had no choice but to follow. Gluth's head swung around and his piercing red eye stared at the warrior hungrily. Drool dripped from his throat and half-intact jaw. Part of his face had been broken, and had been replaced by a metal bear trap, glistening with drool. Gluth roared hungrily and charged at the warrior. Ash tried to attack, but the dog ignored his swords and snapped its jaws shut, barely catching the warrior, crushing the armor on his left arm and snapping bone. Ash backed away, terror all but negating the pain of his broken arm; his foot caught in a grate and he fell. Gluth's massive head towered over him. Was this the end? Was this how he would die?

A blood elf in a purple robe floated down behind the plague dog. Arcane light filled the room as magic missiles pummeled Gluth. The dog's head swung around. A hammer of light struck it as Misty entered the fight. Gary floated down, already throwing fire spells, even before he touched the ground. Gluth roared and charged.

Wendy levitated down and tried to heal Ash. She could not – the crushed armor prevented his arm from returning to a state of wholeness. Gary rushed over and magically repaired the armor and returned to fighting as the priestess aided the warrior. The ground shook as Gluth thundered toward Misty. She backed against a wall and consecrated the ground – it did not slow the plague dog. The Blood Knight saw this as his chance. He jumped down from the tunnel, spear ready. He landed right on top the plague beast's head, thrusting his ranseur down into the monster's skull. He tried to remove his weapon, but it stuck. The hunters jumped down, followed by their pets. The pokemon joined the group at this point, leaping down onto Gluth's head and then onto the ground. The plague dog spun around, rearing up and flailing, trying to throw Rex off of him. The ground shook as Gluth pounded the floor with his feet.

"Hang on, Rex!" Mary cried out, joining the heroes on the floor. Her fellow warlock followed her. They began to summon their demons – a felhound and a succubus. James jumped down and attacked with a frost spell. Gluth completely ignored him, and the others. The mages cast spells with all their fury, and Kroll joined his fellow warrior in the attack. Kai, who had returned to human form so that he could fit through the pipe, stood back. He didn't want to waste mana to change shape when he'd have to shrink to fit through the next door anyway.

Gluth threw himself around; Rex's hands were slipping, but he clung to the spear with all his strength.

"_Misty! What are you doing?_" Gary called out, as the paladin girl _ran underneath the rampaging hound,_ narrowly avoiding its feet. She slammed her sword into the ground. Gluth reared up and backed away on two feet for a moment before his body weight forced him back down onto the glowing floor. The mage tackled the paladin out of the way of the falling paws; they tumbled across the floor and slammed into a wall.

Lorien and the warriors tried to sabotage the monster's feet, but they couldn't get close enough. He was stomping around too much. Something cracked – Rex fell down and nearly landed on the undead rogue, ranseur in hand. Gluth spun around, growling and panting, the hole on the top of his head oozing brown blood. A frost spell struck his face and he turned to attack James. A shadowbolt distracted him. He let out a yelp as Kroll's sword sliced his throat.

The rogue took a running jump, nimbly darting around the orc, and landed on Gluth's neck. Grabbing onto one of the bones protruding from his back, she stabbed him with her poisoned daggers. Lightning flashed from the electric pokemon and the young shaman.

A zombie came rushing into the room. Gluth roared at it hungrily and charged.

"Don't let him reach it! He'll heal!" James yelled. Misty was closest to the zombie. She struck it with holy power and it ran after her. Gluth chased it. Gary distracted the dog with a pyroblast to the face. Absol and Moh'ra dug into its flank, tearing it apart with their teeth. The eevee evolutions cast their elemental power at the dog. Meanwhile, the paladin backed away from the putrid zombie – it was oozing plague that could easily infect her. She blocked it with her shield and threw everything she had at it.

The hunters continued their assault, aided by Meowth. Gluth's shoulders were covered in arrows. Lorien still stood triumphantly on his back, cutting along seams with her daggers even as he thundered about. Wendy finished healing Rex and they both joined the attack again.

The zombie fell to Misty's exorcism spell. She turned her attention to the plague dog. The demons harassed Gluth while their masters cast every spell they knew. The mages were unrelenting in their attack. The warriors cut deep gashes into the limbs. Ash severed a critical tendon; Gluth collapsed sideways, throwing Lorien and the absol off, nearly crushing the warrior boy, missing by less than a foot. With a furious roar, the plague hound swung its head sideways, snapping its jaws at William, who was far out of reach. James slammed his runeblade down into Gluth's head, through the eye. The jaws continued to open and close, slower and slower, until they stopped and went slack. The dread plague dog of Naxxramas had finally been brought down.

William walked over to the great stone door and closed his eyes, holding his hands palm up by his shoulders, as though carrying something. The stone door began to glow faintly. Will raised his hands slowly, and the door slid up into the wall, creaking, accompanied by the sounds of chains moving. The boy opened his eyes and smiled slightly. "I love being a shaman."

The raiders began to move forward, when Lorien told them to stop. The undead climbed the wall next to the tall door and then inched around the corner, clinging to the stone like a bat or spider. She was totally silent as she slid along the wall, high above the heads of whatever was inside. Nothing noticed her.

Lorien watched from her high perch. It was an intersection – they had reached the outer hallway that formed a ring around naxxramas (it would not allow them to reach the other wings, however, since between each wing was a locked door – nobody in the group had the key). Across from her entry, there was a single flesh giant, but more patrolled the hall. If the heroes were quick, they'd be able to sneak by and take the one giant down without being noticed by the rest. The rogue slid back into the room Gluth had lived in, and climbed down the wall.

After the rogue explained her plan, the heroes waited for the right moment, and rushed in. They swiftly took care of the giant and hurried into the room it guarded.

The screams were nearly unbearably loud, and among the most horrific sounds the heroes had ever heard. The voices of women and children echoed and bounced through the chamber, amplifying their chilling effect.

"_**Save me! Light help me!**_"

"_**No! Please, no!**_"

"_**I'll do anything! Please, stop!**_"

"_**Help me!**_"

As though the screams with intelligible words were not enough, there were many wails and cries of pain and horror, without words – just shrieks. They all seemed to be coming from the fiend in the back of the room. It stood still, a hulking monster made of flesh and metal. The screams eminated from within – not from its jaws; the Scourge fiend itself was silent. The wails came from its flesh. Gary started moving toward it but the paladin grabbed him and yanked him back. Misty silently pointed at the wights that stood on two platforms.

"We need to split the group," Jessie said.

"Yeah, and this is going to be a big fight, by the looks of it," Gary answered, "Summon your demons, warlocks. Zaraia, help me get arcane intellect up on all the casters. Misty, Rex, if we could get some blessings here, that would be really helpful. Lorien, if you're going to poison your blades, now is the time to do it. Uh, all pokemon should be out and ready for combat, and so on."

"Both sides are going to need a healer," Misty stated, "I'll take one half; Wendy, you want to heal the others?"

"Sounds good. Zin'ja and Mary should come with me. Jessie and Starwisp can take your side."

"We'll need strong fighters on both sides to protect the healers," Kroll pointed out. The discussion went on quietly as the raiders organized themselves. They went unnoticed as they divided themselves up and prepared for combat. The debate dragged on as to how the group should be divided. There needed to be roughly even distribution of roles on both sides – casters, melee fighters, ranged noncasters, etc. It was eventually decided that Starwisp, Jessie, Gary, Misty, Ash, William, Kai, and Meowth would take one side, while Zin'ja, Mary, Zaraia, Rex, Wendy, James, Lorien, and Kroll would attack the other wight. All the pokemon were out and ready, the succubus and the felhunter were waiting by their masters' sides.

"Now!" the Blood Knight ordered, and the group split in two and fluidly moved to their designated side. It was a hellish fight, with the screams and moans of the souls surrounding the raiders and filling them with despair. Naxxramas was the stuff of nightmare.

As the massive, rotting wight slashed at Ash, the warrior found himself simply wanting to stop existing. He was overcome with horror and anguish; a hopelessness beyond words. If there was a Hell, he was in it. The others felt the same way, locked in combat against giant corpses that feared nothing and seemed invincible, lost in a giant black citadel of death, surrounded by the cries of tormented souls.

And yet, despite the crushing weight of this misery, the heroes fought on. One platform was lit with gold and blue, as the shaman and electric pokemon attacked with lightning. Holy light eminated from both halves of the room as the healers stood back and kept their fighters alive. On both sides, warriors fought, warlocks unleashed unholy force, and hunters fired an endless stream of arrows. Water splashed violently off the stone platform and cascaded down into the pool of slime below the vaporeon. Aeroth wheeled around overhead. Fire blazed on the platform opposite this madness as the charmeleon and rapidash gave it all they had. Purple and blue light contrasted sharply with the orange light as the arcanist and death knight worked alongside the powerful psychic pokemon.

Morale was dropping. Misty could _feel_ her companions losing hope. In an act of desperation, she tried to rally them. "_**Remember the Wrathgate!**_"

The others let out battle cries as well, trying to drown out the screams eminating from the Frankenstein-esque monster that remained perfectly still.

"_Remember the Sunwell!_" Zaraia called out.

"_For the Dark Lady!_" the two undead fighters shouted.

"_Lok'tar ogar!_" Kroll yelled.

The rest of the battle cries were indistinguishable, blending with each other. But they worked. They had restored hope.

Rex stabbed at the wight with his ranseur. Suddenly, the monster grabbed the spear and picked up the Blood Knight by pulling the weapon up into the air. Rex clung to the weapon, not about to let go. He growled at the monster. Across the pit, despite swords being thrust into its hand, the other wight picked Ash up, squeezing tightly. The two wights turned to each other and threw their antagonists to the other platforms. Ash crashed into Zaraia and they both nearly fell into the pit of slime. Rex didn't even have a chance to activate his light bubble, instead slamming into the ground, the breath being knocked out of him. He didn't have much of a chance to recover, since the wight was already towering over him. He used the ranseur to help himself to his feet and began to stab at his new assailant.

Wendy smoothly transitioned to healing Ash as he continued to fight, though the world was spinning around him and his head was throbbing. Moh'ra helped him quickly enough, trying to prevent the wight from hurting the warrior by clamping down on its arm.

"Good boy!" Ash encouraged the raptor.

"Moh'ra be female," Zin'ja corrected him, firing off a poisoned arrow.

"Hell hath no fury…" James muttered, continuing the slice the wight up with quick motions. Ice swirled around him as he went about his work.

On the other side, Gary was refining his style, playing with the order in which he cast spells. A living bomb spell exploded on the wight, at the same time as a holy hammer of light struck the monster.

Contrary to the beginning of the fight, morale was steadily rising. They were winning! Rex and Ash were switched again, and transitioned more smoothly into fighting the original wights.

"Welcome back, Ash," Gary said, casting a pyroblast, "Have a nice fall?"

"Haha, so funny I forgot to laugh," the warrior replied, forcing a grin as he parried a blow from the wight's massive claw by crossing his swords in front of him.

James yelled from the other side, "This one is down!" Zaraia and Mary began to cast spells across the gap. Zin'ja fired some arrows over the pit. Jessie cast a shadowbolt and the wight collapsed.

The heroes collected and recovered quickly. Then, the mages cast slow fall on everyone but Wendy, who levitated herself across the gap to the monster's platform. The others followed her. The screaming halted for a moment, as the monster – Thaddius – began to move!

"It is too late!" the monster with the iron jaws said, the voices of women and children speaking under him, "I must obey!"

The raiders attacked. Thaddius was insanely powerful. He hardly felt their attacks. Suddenly, lightning spurted this way and that. Everyone's hair floated a bit with static electricity. Some people faintly glowed blue, while others faintly glowed red, under the effects of Thaddius' spell. Those who were opposite colors near each other cried out in pain as they shocked each other.

Due to the way the group had randomly spread out, the Rockets were isolated, both glowing red. James suddenly understood what was going on.

"Blue group take the left, red group take the right! If your color changes, rotate clockwise around the monster in an orderly manner! _Move!_" Blues on the right and reds on the left rotated around Thaddius, and found that not only did James' strategy prevent them from hurting each other, it gave them an unexpected bonus! They felt _stronger!_

Now divided cleanly, the heroes stood a fighting chance. Thaddius seemed to feel their attacks more. Mary quickly drew her unholy glyphs in the air with the knife, as her felhound tried to drain electricity from the monster.

"Don't use electric abilities on him," William said, switching to the use of stone and lava, "it'll make him stronger!"

Pikachu darted away from the group – his polarity was unstable due to his electric nature, and he kept accidentally shocking his own allies. The pokemon stood a good distance away and watched with pride as his trainer fought with all he had.

The warriors left huge dents in the metal boots Thaddius wore, unable to easily attack his flesh. The paladins cast their judgements. Shadowbolts streamed from the second warlock. Brylith the succubus lashed at the monster's hands with her whip, fearlessly.

Lorien climbed the wall and made sure to stay out of range of both polarities, so she wouldn't have to move. She stabbed at Thaddius' arms with one hand while using the other to cling to the wall.

The death knight's runeblade was glowing brilliantly blue, just as the icy winds that howled around him did. The wind competed with the wails to dominate the sounds of the area.

The fire pokemon threw their blazing attacks from one side, while the fire mage stood on the other. Flames lit the room along with the electricity arcing from the lab machinery.

Espeon stood on her master's shoulder, channeling her psychic power with all her might. The purple glow of the ethereal rope between her and her target was nearly indistinguishable from the arcane glow of the blood elf's attacks. A glowing red bird dove in and out of combat above the right side of the platform.

The dinosaur took a running jump and embedded her claws in Thaddius's chest. She ripped and tore with the killer claws on her hind feet, though the monster tried to shake her off.

Suddenly another burst of electricity changed the polarity of the groups. Following the death knight's plan, they rotated smoothly into their new positions and continued attacking.

Even the priestess was taking part in the attack. Bursts of holy light, resembling a mage's arcane explosion, eminated from her side now and then, healing her friends and hurting her enemy. The hunters stood side-by-side, firing arrows in pefect unison.

Gary stopped casting fireballs to cast a repair on the dulling swords of the warriors. The blades regained their sharp edges and the fighters could continue their assault of metal-on-metal. The mage returned to his spellcasting.

Thaddius occasionally brought his fist down with a great thud in an attempt to fight back. He was too slow; the agile heroes would dart out of the way. Kai had borrowed Meowth's dagger and climbed onto one of the hands, before swinging around to the back and using the dagger to attack the back of the horror's neck. Another polarity change; some raiders rotated around the monster. Thaddius roared. The wails continued in the background.

"_**Help us!**_"

Aeroth's claws tore a huge chunk out of the giant's shoulder. Rapidash's fire attack seared flesh. A massive hand slammed down next to the Blood Knight. His charmeleon took this opportunity and jumped onto the arm, latching on with his claws and using his teeth to tear the limb apart. Thaddius flailed and tried to get him off, but he hung on.

Kroll's sword landed a crippling dent in the monster's leg. The other leg was structurally threatened by the number of gashes Ash had cut into it. A powerful ice spell by the death knight struck the flesh titan's head. A bolt of lava cut deep into Thaddius' side.

Polarity shifted again. The heroes rotated. Thaddius roared and stomped his feet in fury – these puny mortals could overcome his special skill! Warlock fire burned him, arcane magic tore him apart! Gary cast a dragon's breath spell. Meowth's short arrows riddled Thaddius' body, just as the larger arrows from the hunters did. Vaporeon's water blasts confused and annoyed the flesh titan.

Misty cast an exorcism, followed by a judgement from Rex. The paladins would not back down any time soon. Thaddius turned to the wall and grabbed Lorien. He threw her to the ground, but Gary was quick enough to cast a slow fall spell on her. She landed softly on the ground behind the left group, but was glowing the wrong color. She stood back, afraid to shock the group. She climbed the wall nearby and inched along toward the monster again.

Thaddius' hand was shredded from the constant whipping. He slammed his other hand down in the red group, but the raiders managed to avoid serious damage. From behind him, Jessie began to drain his unlife.

Kai slammed the pokemon's dagger into Thaddius's neck one last time. Electricity sparked all over and the dragon boy jumped down, startled. The raiders scattered, being sure not to go near anyone of the other polarity, as Thaddius fell.

The voices stopped screaming and wailing.

"_Thank… you…_"

The flesh titan landed with a ground-shaking thud. The glows wore off and the heroes regrouped. They had conquered one wing of Naxxramas.


	56. Naxxramas: The Spider Wing

As the group, having backtracked to the center of naxxramas, entered the next wing, they were unsure of what to expect. The very first room was covered in webs – in the corners, over the arches, on the slime fountain in the middle of the room. The room was _crawling_ with spiders. There were more spiders here than the heroes had seen in all of Azeroth _combined_. Misty was as white as a sheet, a look of sheer horror on her face. Even the screams of the souls trapped in Thaddius hadn't been quite this scary.

"_Oh my god_," she whispered, "_What the hell am I doing?_"

Ash turned to her, concerned. "You wanna stay in the hub?"

"No," the paladin insisted, though her eyes were wide and she was shaking slightly, "No, I'm fine. I'll be fine. I'll be just fine… I could handle the nerubians; I can handle this. I'll be fine."

Gary, also slightly unnerved, put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, gasped, and then sighed when she realized it was just him. "Don't worry. You're not alone." He gulped – as he had mentioned long ago, he also had a mild fear of spiders.

"Let's kill them off with area spells," Wendy suggested.

"Yeah," Jessie agreed, "I like the sound of that. We can mow them down from afar while people who are not afraid of spiders keep them _away from us._"

"You're afraid of spiders?" James asked, "I didn't know that about you."

"Only very slightly," the warlock replied, "less so than those two." She pointed at Gary and Misty.

"Hey! It's not like it's a debilitating phobia or anything!" the mage snapped, embarrassed, but clearly at least _somewhat_ afraid, "Anyway, l-let's go ahead and do this. The faster we move, the faster we kill, the faster we get out of here."

"I'm going t-to stay with the c-casters," Misty stammered, trying to stay calm and failing miserably.

"Let's get this over with," Kroll said. He charged in, trying to get the attention of as many of the arachnids as he could. Ash joined him, followed by Lorien, then James, and finally Kai. The two warlocks and the two mages started calling down a rain of fire and ice like never before. The shaman cast a chain lightning spell.

"_Bug zapper!_" he said, laughing.

Some of the others laughed a bit. The hunters shot at the spiders with their arrows. Rex ran in after the fighters but didn't get involved in the attack; instead he consecrated the ground and backed away to join Misty and Wendy, who were standing behind the casters, healing.

"You girls okay?" he asked, "I'll stay back here and protect you if the spiders come after you."

"How chivalrous," Wendy said, with a hint of sarcasm, "You're not afraid are you?"

"Only for _your_ safety," he replied, sticking his nose in the air and looking hurt.

"Thank you?"

Misty shrieked. One of the spiders had come around the side, on the wall. Gary spun around and cast a dragon's breath spell on the creature. "_Stay away from her!_"

Rex rushed at the spider, stabbing it with his ranseur and then backing away to defend the healers. His spear was dripping with green blood.

"I had it under control!" Gary said. He glared at Rex.

"Really? Then why was the spider still moving?"

"_Stop fighting each other and start fighting the spiders!_" Wendy snapped. Rex backed off, reluctantly. Gary snorted. _What a Casanova,_ the mage thought, returning to his spellcasting,_ He thinks he's __such__ a lady's man._

Rex continued to glare at Gary. _Cocky jerk. What's his problem?_

The spiders died, hissing and screeching. They curled up into little balls, twitching, their beady eyes staring, dead, into emptiness. The paladin girl shuddered but refused to turn back. The Scourge, no matter what they had in their arsenal, would _not_ defeat her. She _couldn't_ let them win through fear.

The raiders moved through web-filled corridors. Ash used his swords to hack his way through the thick spiderwebs. Egg sacs stuck to the walls in certain places. Finally, they came to a door. Kroll and Ash pushed it open, and entered. Inside was a monsterous Crypt Lord, a horrifying mixture of beetle and spider. He was gigantic, in the middle of his round chamber. A strange expression crossed his face – a grin? It was hard to tell.

"Ahh… I hear little hearts beating… Beating faster now! Soon, the beating… will _stop!_" The heroes were pale. "Hm, I've been so long without food, so long without blood to drink… Which one shall I eat first? It's so hard to choose; they all look so… _delicious_…"

The door slammed shut. A nerubian dropped down by a thick silk rope, right behind the heroes. It hissed. Misty screamed and instinctively bolted. Anub'Rekhan charged at her, laughing.

"Yes! Run! _Run, little paladin! It makes the blood pump faster!_"

Something clicked in the girl – her mind locked down; she was too petrified to run. She was detached, only capable of fighting. Eyes wide, she consecrated the ground in front of her and backed away.

"Hmm, you might prove a little bit difficult. No matter. Tenderized meat is the best…"

A second nerubian dropped down. Ash started hacking violently at it with his swords. Wendy and Rex fought the first nerubian. Gary rushed over toward Anub'Rekhan.

"Hey! Over here, ugly! Don't you prefer your food a little bit _spicy?_" He started casting a pyroblast.

Anub'Rekhan growled at the mage. "Ah, soft, unprotected flesh! So much _easier_ to eat!"

"Not on your life!"

The Crypt Lord slammed a claw down at Gary; the mage blinked out of the way and cast a dragon's breath spell on him. Anub'Rekhan reared up and tried to crush the mage. Gary turned and fled, casting spells at the monster as he retreated.

Misty's fear had been all but consumed by battle rage. The paladin unleashed holy fury on the Spider Lord.

Ash got past the nerubian's defenses and lopped off its head. The body flailed and died. The warrior spun to face the Crypt Lord, cape swooshing behind him, and charged in to help his friends.

"_For the Horde!_" Kroll shouted, joining his fellow warrior. He let out a roar as he slammed his sword into Anub'Rekhan's leg, leaving a deep gash in the Crypt Lord's exoskeleton.

"_For the Horde!_" Zaraia echoed, beginning to cast an arcane barrage. Light flashed all around as the casters joined one by one.

"That's the spirit!" Rex said, joining the fight, ranseur glowing brilliantly gold.

Lorien let out a yell and ran at her foe, then leapt onto the monster's back, gripping the hard casing and slamming her daggers down into the shell repeatedly until she broke through.

James followed her example. He let out a battle cry and charged, runeblade ready.

The warlocks teamed up and worked together to wear down the Crypt Lord. Mary cut the air into glowing runes as quickly as she could; the lines were shaky but close enough for the spells to work. Jessie invoked the power she'd used in Nagrand, splitting the stone around her and causing hellfire to leap up all around her enemy.

William's electric storm was amplified by Pikachu. Blue and gold lightning arced around the room wildly.

Ash had distracted Anub'Rekhan from his former target, and now fled the great Spider Lord, occasionally turning around and rushing back toward his massive foe to strike at the monster's legs, running under him and forcing him to turn around. This spinning was making the Crypt Lord dizzy!

"_Hold still! It will be over faster that way!_" Anub'Rekhan shouted in irritation.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Starwisp replied, shooting a well-aimed arrow at the beast. It struck him in the face, unfortunately sideways – it didn't bring him down. He wheeled about in pain, roaring.

"Nice shot, elf!" the troll praised, firing more arrows. He was not as good a shot, but his pet was much stronger. The raptor clung to the Spider Lord's shoulder, trying to pierce the thick armor with her claws and teeth.

"Thank you."

The eeveelutions pounded the Crypt Lord with elemental power. He roared and turned toward them. He thundered forward and brought his huge, scythe-like arm around in an arc, throwing the espeon against the wall.

"_Espeon!_" Mary screamed.

Rex rushed over to heal the pokemon. Kai, still using Meowth's knife, attacked Anub'Rekhan with all his might. The arachnid yelled furiously, stomping around wildly, trying to get these adventurers off his back. Lorien climbed the rest of the way up his back and onto his head. He flailed wildly, but couldn't shake the rogue off. She slammed her dagger down into his face, and with a roar, he collapsed.

Not everyone was able to get out of the way. The death knight was caught under the falling Crypt Lord.

"James?" the warlock yelped, rushing over to try to help him.

The warriors pushed on the corpse, but weren't quite able to budge it. The two paladins helped, and they were _almost_ able to slide the body aside. From under the body, a furious growl came, not unlike the one uttered by the Lich King at the Wrathgate. Suddenly, Anub'Rekhan's body lurched and slid, as the death knight provided the last bit of power needed to move it. Gritting and baring his teeth, James pulled himself out from under the giant arachnid's remains, limping, but otherwise showing no sign of pain.

"You're okay!" Jessie said, relieved.

"Of course I am. Takes more than a simple spider to bring me down."

"You're a lot tougher than you were in Kanto," Ash said, grinning, "A _lot_ tougher."

"_Understatement of the year,_" Misty said.

James' injured leg collapsed under him. He landed on his hands and one knee. Wincing, he picked himself up again. "Azeroth toughens you up. Heal me, please."

XXX

Lorien returned, climbing down from the wall. "If we slide around the edge, we'll only have to fight a few."

"Right," Jessie said, "let's do this."

Kai nodded and led the way in. The fifteen raiders dispatched the spiders quickly and quietly. They hurried through a corridor, into a slimy tunnel. Webs dangled here and there, tiny spiders crawling all throughout.

"Oh my god," Misty muttered, white as a sheet. Rex sped up to walk in front of her, winking on the way by, and used his ranseur to tear apart the webs in front of his fellow paladin. Gary didn't let him keep at it for very long, rushing over and forcing him aside, even physically elbowing him to shove him out of the way. He glared sideways at the Blood Knight as he scorched the path for the girl.

Rex walked by Wendy instead. "Fire mages can be so hotheaded sometimes." He grinned at her to make sure she got the joke. She snickered.

"I see what you did there."

A spider, green as the slime that surrounded it, rushed at the young warrior, followed by a pair of friends. Zaraia rushed to his aid. Ash slew one of the spiders with little effort. Starwisp and Zin'ja fired their arrows at the same time, striking the same target. They glanced at each other quizzically and then returned to combat. The night elf was a faster shot, and her arrow ended up taking the spider down.

"Fifteen," she said, grinning and glancing challengingly at the troll.

He just looked at her smugly and replied, "Seventeen, mon."

Starwisp looked shocked for a brief moment and then snorted.

An ariados skittered around the corner. This jarringly reminded the heroes that there were pokemon in the Scourge ranks. Lorien attacked first, lunging with her poisoned daggers. Kai decided to change to his dragon form, as – from what he'd seen – he had much more space in this wing of Naxxramas. He breathed fire at the spider pokemon. It hissed and jumped at the adventurers. It tackled Jessie to the floor and rattled its fangs nightmarishly. A runeblade sent it flying off the warlock's chest and it slammed into the wall.

"Rapidash, flamethrower!" Wendy commanded. Her noble steed obeyed, shooting fire from its horn. The ariados panicked and skittered over toward Ash, who charged right back at it. It backed away, right into the dragon's breath that Gary had prepared for it. Hissing, it turned and bit the mage's leg. A hammer of light struck the beast as Misty retaliated. Kroll brought his sword straight down through the pokemon, killing it.

The raiders continued on, into a large chamber. Warlocks with strange tattoos on their faces and spider-emblems on their robes were gathered around a woman – Grand Widow Faerlina.

"Your old lives, your mortal desires, mean nothing. You are acolytes of the master now, and you will serve the cause without question! The greatest glory is to die in the master's service, especially in sacrifice to feed the spiders on your blood – be careful, though. Naxxramas sometimes has a mind of its own; after a sacrifice, all poison is nullified in the nearby area for a few minutes, and the citadel may draw power out of not only the blood, but the acolytes nearby, so don't stand too close to the altar when a sacrifice is being made." The acolytes seemed slightly unnerved, and Faerlina saw this. "Do not fear the sacrifice! It is ascension to glory, and you may or may not be raised as a lich later on for your devotion. We are servants of the master! It is an honor, and your _duty_ to die for him!"

"A duty we'll be glad to help you fulfill!" Gary said, as he began to cast a blizzard. Faerlina's eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed.

"Slay them in the master's name!" she commanded. The acolytes were easy to kill. The two warlocks and two mages effortlessly mowed them down with rains of fire and ice. It was just Faerlina and her four assistants against the raiders.

"Pathetic wretches! You've failed me!" the woman growled, furious at both the acolytes for not putting up a decent fight and the heroes for killing her students. The heroes split up, the five plate wearers going in to hold back the worshippers and Faerlina herself. Wendy grabbed Misty's shoulder and told her to stay back and heal.

"Why?"

"I have a plan. You'll see soon enough; just listen to me."

"Kai, attack Faerlina!" The paladin yelled, making sure her spot would be taken. The dragon rushed forward out of the shadows. The Grand Widow's eyes widened as the black drake charged toward her. The cult priestess cast a toxic volley at the dragon, to no avail.

The four sorcerers split up, and each chose a plate-wearer to help. Gary wordlessly announced his decision to help Ash by throwing a pyroblast at the cultist the warrior was fighting. His absol joined the pikachu in the attack.

Rex skillfully dodged attacks as he mercilessly and unrelentingly assaulted his opponent with the ranseur, his charmeleon by his side. Misty ordered her vaporeon to help her fellow paladin, as Jessie joined the fray along with the water pokemon.

Will teamed up with Zaraia, helped by Wendy's rapidash. The three unleashed elemental fury on the man that Kroll was fighting. The orc roared as he swung his mighty sword at the cultist, who was, at this point, merely trying to avoid the warrior's blade.

James thought he was fighting the last cultist alone, fighting with skill that nobody would have ever expected of him before his undeath. He had it entirely under control, but was relieved anyway when Mary and her two companions – the espeon and the felhunter – showed up at his side.

The three archers focused all their might on Faerlina herself, firing arrows as quickly as they could. There was no contest here, only working as one unit. The hunters' pets attacked the Grand Widow, along with the succubus. Lorien came out of seemingly nowhere as she stabbed Faerlina in the side, casually remarking, "You really must tell me where you get your poison! It's quite impressive! I prefer the oil of the Maiden's Anguish and Deathweed plants, myself."

Grand Widow Faerlina was not amused by the rogue's attempt at chatter. It was the final insult needed to push her into a rage.

"Oh crap," Starwisp said.

Wendy heard her and turned to Misty. "Take over the healing for a minute – I have some things I need to do." Before the paladin could ask, the priestess' eyes started glowing purple.

Ash looked startled as the cultist he was fighting suddenly stopped attacking, eyes turning purple. The worshipper put up her hands and stepped back. Ash tried to keep attacking but the mage barred the way with his staff. "Stop attacking." The cultist turned and ran over to the altar – right behind Faerlina.

Wendy winced, despite not seeming in control of her own motions.

The cultist hesitated and then brought her knife down into her own chest. Blood spurted out and trickled down the woman's chest, off the altar. There was a magical effect resembling an arcane explosion. Faerlina stumbled and blinked, wondering what just happened.

Wendy gasped, her eyes returning to green, and clutched at her chest, panting. Misty understood what the priestess had done, then.

"Was that… mind control?"

"Yes, I…" The priestess said, still clutching her chest as though she'd had a heart attack, "I've dabbled in dark magic from time to time… For the purpose of good, of course…"

Misty frowned but understood the situation – she'd done the same thing. "So have I."

"I still get a jolt from killing myse- them. While they're me. Or – you know what I'm trying to say." She resumed healing the fighters.

Gary aided James, ordering his absol to join Kroll, while Ash and pikachu helped Rex.

The magic from the sacrifice had, as Faerlina had said, negated poisons. "Hey!" Lorien yelled, "Stop messing with my toxins!"

"Sorry Lorrie!" Wendy apologized across the battlefield.

"Don't call me Lorrie," the undead woman answered, "You know I hate that."

The Grand Widow was irritated enough now to cast a rain of fire. Zaraia shrieked. Kroll backed away quickly. Lorien panicked for a moment. Flames rained down all around. Kai answered with his own fire, unleashing an inferno from within.

Again, Faerlina had enough strength to go into a rage. Another acolyte went down under Wendy's mind control.

Rex joined the group that Zaraia was fighting in. "Hey there, beautiful. You from Silvermoon?"

Ash was not happy about this, and charged into that fight, right between the Blood Knight and the arcanist. He glared at the paladin. Absol ran back to his master, barking. The cultists were struggling now. Faerlina could hardly stay standing, she'd been beaten so hard.

Mary landed a killing blow with her dagger. One cultist and one Grand Widow left to kill. The warlock's group joined the attack on Faerlina instead of the assault on the remaining worshipper.

The Spider Priestess had had enough. "_Kneel before me, worms!_" she roared, as crimson fire engulfed her.

"_Oh, shit!_" Gary voiced the phrase that was running through everyone's minds.

Faerlina grabbed the death knight by the throat. Her strength was unnatural! She threw him at the archers. He slammed into Starwisp and they tumbled several feet before coming to a stop. They struggled to get back to their feet, severely weakened by the impact.

"_Sacrifice the last cultist!_" Misty practically screamed at Wendy. The priestess' eyes were already glowing. The cultist rushed to the altar.

Faerlina grabbed the absol and squeezed his neck. He let out a strangled yelp as he struggled.

The cultist slammed the dagger into his chest. The magic explosion put out the flames around the Grand Widow, who suddenly weakened and dropped the pokemon.

Zin'ja extended a hand to help his fellow hunter to her feet. "Ya okay, mon?"

"Don't ne-need _your_ help…" she muttered, picking herself up.

William's lightning bolt caused Faerlina to drop to the floor. She tried to get up but Ash brought his swords down on her from behind, one into the back and the other into the skull.

The group took a few minutes to recover. Kai, still a dragon, walked over to the huntress. "You're good?"

"I'm fine."

"Hey!" James said, looking hurt, "What about me? _Oh, is Starwisp okay? Gotta make sure the elf's okay! Wait, death knight? What death knight?_ Someone acknowledge my presence, please? Just once?"

Jessie laughed. "Are you alright, James?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Everyone laughed.

Wendy rubbed her head. "You feeling okay?" Rex asked, genuinely concerned. His hands were already glowing for a healing spell. The priestess laughed.

"I'm a healer, too, you know."

Rex _blushed._ "I know."

Wendy got up and started helping the others recover. The Blood Knight looked as though someone had slammed a door in his face. After a moment, he shrugged it off and healed a few people.

Revitalized, the raiders continued their march, plowing through the citadel. A pair of nerubians fell quickly and the heroes found themselves in the outer corridor. To their right was a locked gate. They could only go one way, so they did.

The hall, like the rest of that wing, was swarming with spiders. The death knight charged in first, still adrenaline-high from the fight with Faerlina. Jessie helped out with a rain of fire. The warriors followed James' example, charging in. As horrifying as it was, there was something _thrilling_ about combat against the Scourge. They were winning; tearing through their opponents, and that simply felt _satisfying._

Lorien ripped the fangs off a spider with her dagger, wondering if she could collect poison from them later. Slipping them into the plane of storage, she smoothly continued the fight. Next to her, Aeroth was repeatedly diving down on another spider, green blood all over his claws.

The mages lit the room with their spells. Fire and arcane magic flashed brilliantly. A spider lunged at the pyromancer. Gary jumped backwards, slamming his staff into the beast as he retreated. His pokemon charged in and attacked the spider with such force that he ripped a leg right off.

Kai fought in his human form – he'd been breathing far too much fire and was getting tired. He needed a chance to recover before tackling whatever lay ahead. Another ariados crawled into view, leaping at the dragon-boy. He kicked it back and continued to keep it at bay in this manner, slowly realizing that it wasn't working.

"Catch!" Lorien shouted, and threw one of the giant fangs she'd cut off earlier. It spun around like a boomerang and slid across the ground to the dark-skinned boy. He grabbed it by the base; the vicious spider pokemon lunged and got a nasty slash wound across the face for its efforts.

Rex impaled a spider on his ranseur and spun, swinging the spear and halting it abruptly to throw the still-squirming animal into another spider. The two arachnids slid into the green slime at the edge of the hall and drowned in the poisonous goo.

Through all the hellish fighting, the raiders were pushing on through the corridor, gaining ground with every passing minute.

Ash blocked a blow from a spider with his weapons and counterattacked, slicing the end of a leg off. The spider hissed in pain and lunged again. The stone below it suddenly jutted up and the unsuspecting invertebrate was sent flying. William chuckled and resumed his usual lightning-based method of fighting.

Another spider met its end in the slime, after crashing into the wall above it, having been launched by the vaporeon's hydro pump.

Frost swirled around the death knight in a fury as he sliced cleanly through opponents, runeblade glowing brilliantly blue. A spider came from the left; sliced in half! A second from the right; impaled!

A crypt fiend found itself pitted in combat against a raptor, severely wounded and bleeding green from the multiple limbs the hungry dinosaur had torn off. A troll's arrow embedded itself in the nerubian's head and it collapsed.

The heroes were in a circular room with a web-covered ramp. Only a few spiders remained. A paladin's judgement struck one down from behind the hunters. Lorien killed another. The last was killed mid-attack by Meowth's perfectly aimed arrow.

The heroes again rested, but not for long. They climbed the ramp and found themselves on a platform, just outside a huge room where the floor was nothing but thick, solid web. Inside was the most monstrous creature – a horrible, spiny, multicolored giant of an arachnid.

The sight of Maexxna was simply too much for Misty. The paladin fainted into Gary's arms.

"Dang! One healer down already," William muttered, "Hey, Rex. You think the two of us could make up for it?"

The Blood Knight thought for a moment. "Maybe. I'm not much of a healer and neither are you."

"You don't really have much choice," Jessie pointed out, "With Misty down, a significant chunk of our healing is gone. Wendy can't handle this alone."

"You have a point."

"What about Misty? Is it safe to just leave her here?" Gary asked, kneeling on the ground with the unconscious paladin still in his arms.

"Her pokemon can stay here to protect her," Meowth said, "Isn't that right, vaporeon?"

James looked worried. "Who knew one person could have such an impact on our setup and abilities…? I don't know if we'll be able to make it. We're short one healer now – I'm not certain William and Rex will be able to pick up the slack, and with them healing instead of fighting, we'll be putting out a lot less damage…"

"We've still got eleven people attacking the spider," Lorien pointed out, "We're only down two attackers."

"Yes, but will eleven be enough?"

"Of course it will," Mary said, agitated. She folded her arms over her chest. "What's the plan?"

"I believe I should point out, now," Lorien advised, "that Maexxna can spit poison in front of her, from what I heard while in the Scourge."

The fire mage gently put Misty on the ground, then stood. He sighed and thought for a moment. "Ash, James, and Kroll, take the front. Keep the spider's attention. The rest of us will attack from behind, so she can't spit on us. Kai, stay in human form; your true form would fall right through the webs. You and Lorien – also the raptor and my absol – will attack Maexxna's legs. Warlocks, get your imps out for this one – we need ranged attacks. Everyone I haven't mentioned, we'll be attacking the body, except Rex, Will, and Wendy, who will be healing. Wendy, you focus on healing Ash in particular, Will focus on James, Rex focus on Kroll."

The heroes prepared for combat, sharpening weapons, summoning pets, casting helpful spells. Then, the battle began. The designated diversions rushed out first, while the attackers streamed around the edge of the room, until they were positioned behind Maexxna. Starwisp threw her bird off her shoulder and took aim. Zin'ja was already firing at the spider.

"Bit slow, eh mon?"

"Me, no; bird, yes."

"I thought owls was supposed to be wise…"

Zaraia started with a powerful arcane blast, then moved to missiles. Gary cast an alternating series of pyroblasts, fireballs, and frostfire bolts. Mary stood next to the mages, furiously slicing runes in the air with her knife. Her imp stood at her feet, casting fireballs.

Maexxna spat poison at the warriors and death knight. Rex and William quickly cured them and resumed healing. The spider continually moved during the fight, stepping this way and that, unintentionally kicking the melee fighters away from her or forcing them to move, and generally making the battle very difficult for them.

The spider produced a web, trapping Mary. She struggled to get out, hacking at the strands of sticky silk with her dagger.

An egg sac opened. Spiderlings poured out. "Oh crap," Gary muttered, as the broodlings came straight at the spellcasters.

James glanced over. "Ash, Kroll, you two think you can handle Maexxna on your own?"

"Yeah, think so," the human warrior replied.

The death knight rushed off, right under the startled spider's body. He attacked the broodlings – slashing at some, casting frost spells at others. They all rushed at him, save two that he missed. One of them attacked Starwisp, and the other ran at Jessie. James kept fighting the six spiderlings and glanced to the side. He wielded his sword one-handed for a moment as he pointed his other hand at the spider that was approaching the warlock.

"Don't think so." A chain of purple magic extended from his hand and yanked the spider toward him in a death grip.

Starwisp dropped her bow to attack the broodling that charged at her. She didn't take long to slam her metal claws into it and kick it away.

The death knight was being overwhelmed by the seven spiders – five, now, as he'd killed two already.

Rex had to get a mana potion from the plane of storage. Will was also tiring. Neither of them was used to healing, and they were wearing down quickly.

Pikachu, espeon, rapidash, and charmeleon beat Maexxna mercilessly with lightning, fire, and psychic abilities. The hunters continued their assault. Zaraia threw a frostbolt in with the onslaught of arcane spells.

James struggled to fight off the remaining three spiders. Suddenly, a blast of icy wind threw the dog-sized creatures aside. A fireball killed one. The death knight looked over his shoulder.

"Thought you could use a hand," Gary said.

Maexxna screamed in fury – a horrible sound, like shards of glass on a chalkboard. Her color changed – she turned bright red. The spider doubled her attack speed and Ash was having a hard time holding her back. It had been very difficult for the two warriors to protect themselves from the monstrous fangs, but now it was nearly impossible. One of Ash's swords went flying and caught by the hilt in the webs – thankfully it was not lost entirely.

The warrior's eyes widened as Maexxna lunged again. Time seemed to slow, for a moment. He braced himself, shutting his eyes and holding his sword out with both hands. Pain.

Maexxna shrieked and pulled back. She'd stabbed herself on the warrior's sword, but one of her fangs had pierced about half a foot into the boy's armor. He could feel the poison working, burning him from inside.

William removed the poison and Wendy was in the middle of healing the wound when the great spider made another web and threw it at her. Rex healed the warrior, but he could feel his mana being depleted.

Ash felt a great despair wash over him. He was exhausted, the healers were struggling, and the monster still stood.

"Don't lose hope," the orc said, from his side, "We've come this far. We've gotten closer to death than this. We'll make it through."

Another sac hatched. More broodlings poured out.

"Ah, hell. That's the last thing we need," Starwisp muttered, then yelled so the whole group could hear her, "I got it! Keep fighting Maexxna!"

"Not alone ya don't," Zin'ja told her, readying another arrow and aiming it at a broodling. The arrow flew; it hit the spider's body. The spiderling scurried around a bit and collapsed. "Beat dat."

"You're on."

Maexxna lunged at the young human warrior again. Kroll stepped in front of him and blocked the blow. "_Come on, you stupid animal. Is that the best you've got?_"

Ash rushed to get his other sword. A broodling leapt at him from behind. He turned just in time to see its raised fangs, and there was nothing he could do.

He didn't have to. A bolt of arcane magic sent the spider flying. Ash turned to look at where the spider had gone, then in the direction the bolt had come from. Zaraia finished the spiderling off, nodded at the warrior with a smile, and returned to attacking the great arachnid.

Wendy was back in action. "How much more can she take?"

"I have no idea," Rex admitted.

"Keep fighting!" Gary tried to encourage his friends, "_I,_ for one, refuse to be beaten by a spider!"

"You heard the mage!" Meowth said, "Let's squash this bug!" He reached for another arrow. His quiver was empty. He fumbled around for a moment, pulling ammunition out of the storage plane.

Two full-sized arrows whizzed overhead. The troll and night elf had finished picking the spiderlings off.

Though morale was fluctuating, it was clear that exhaustion was on a linear path. The raiders were growing weary. How much longer would this spider keep fighting?

She turned red again. Ash was too drained to take the brunt of another enraged attack. Again, Kroll bailed him out, though the orc was barely able to defend himself. Maexxna suddenly teetered to one side. Lorien cheered. After much effort, she'd successfully caused a leg to collapse! The giant spider steadied herself on her remaining seven legs.

A pyroblast struck the spider. A shadowbolt followed. An ice lance; several arrows. It wasn't clear what the killing blow was, but Maexxna finally collapsed.

The heroes cheered and went back to where the unconscious paladin lay. They, too, collapsed. They all needed a break.


	57. Naxxramas: The Plague Wing

Misty opened her eyes. Where was she? She sat up, looking around in a daze.

"You're awake. Good," Gary said, "Very good. We were worried about how long you'd be down. We only have so much time we can spend in the hub. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." The paladin rubbed the back of her forehead. "I'm glad to be out of there."

"So am I."

"Come on," Mary said, "Let's move. We need to keep going."

"Right."

They entered the next wing. The air was thick and awful-smelling. Wendy gagged.

"Plague," James said, "Be careful. You could be infected easily here…"

William cast a spell on everyone. "That should help protect us… For what little it's worth…"

An ooze slinked in and attacked the arcanist. Zaraia blinked away and froze the thing with a frostbolt. Kroll shattered it with his sword. The other oozes were similarly easy to dispatch.

Jessie had a horrible feeling that they were being watched. Something shuffled lightly. A piece of stone, very small, bounced off her shoulder. She gasped quietly and looked around. Her eyes passed over it the first time, but the second time, she saw it clearly; a gargoyle spreading its wings. She cast a shadowbolt at it and the others spun around. The stony beast lifted off the ledge and swooped down without a sound. An owl tackled it as Starwisp readied an arrow. The two grey fliers wheeled around in the air. The first arrow missed; the second grazed a wing; the third hit its mark. The other archers joined, and the casters did their best to help. Eventually the gargoyle fell from the air and landed limply on the ground, where it met its end under the hooves of a rapidash.

The raiders went down a set of stairs, narrow and dark. The heroes kept glancing upwards, watching for more gargoyles. The paladin looked up at the right time; another of the Scourge fliers dropped down at her, claws extended. She held up her shield and brought her sword around, striking the monster with Light. Stunned, it dropped to its feet, wobbling. Misty did not pause, and drove the sword in again, killing the monster. Another gargoyle had dropped down during the fight, attacking James. The death knight took a claw to the face and retaliated with a blast of ice. Mary's felhunter growled as it grabbed the gargoyle's foot and dragged it down. Meowth turned and shot an arrow into the monster's head. It slumped and the heroes stepped over it, continuing their relentless siege.

They entered a room with a square mark in the middle. At three corners of the room, there were piles of bones, _dozens and dozens_ of bodies. There was a balcony quite far up the wall. In the center of the room, a man in a black and purple robe stood hunched over in front of a cauldron, muttering. He heard the heroes enter, because he suddenly straightened up. "Hm?" He turned around. "_Die, trespassers!_"

The raiders streamed into the room and attacked. Kai shifted into dragon form, having plenty of room. He snapped at Noth repeatedly, as the other heroes cast their spells and swung their weapons. The Plaguebringer was forced into a corner. Desperate, the man cursed the attackers. Gary and Zaraia immediately countered the spell, removing the curses from their friends. Noth was unarmed and cornered. He punched at anyone who came near him, but took several nasty wounds through his robe. Bleeding badly, he teleported away, and the swarm of raiders turned to attack again. A fireball slammed into him.

The Plaguebringer teleported to the balcony. "Rise, my soldiers! Rise and fight once more!" Ribbons of purple magic extended from his hands to the piles of bones. Rib cages, femurs, skulls, armor, and weaponry rose up and assembled themselves into skeletal warriors. Metal clanged against metal. The casters backed away as a large skeleton with an axe attacked them. The mages tried to hold it back with ice, but the thing was merely slowed.

A skeleton's broadsword was deflected by the paladin's trusty shield. She lashed out with holy magic but her first priority was holding her assailant back.

Ash took a nasty wound to the side as the horror he was fighting buried a scimitar into his armor. Bleeding, the warrior retaliated, crushing one of the skeleton's arms with the hilt of his sword.

Zin'ja backed away, trying to flee as the unrelenting skeleton continued to swing a heavy mace at him. Moh'ra defended her master but was sent crashing to the floor with a crushed hip for her efforts. Wendy struck the undead monster with a blast of Holy Light.

Gary fought off the skeleton that was attacking the spellcasters as the others went to help their friends. The axe swung at him, but he blinked away. A pyroblast exploded in the monster's rib cage. A sharp smack from behind with a staff caused it to collapse.

One of the undead attacked Rex, but the Blood Knight smacked it away with his spear, casting a judgement at it.

More skeletons rose; this time, they were mages. One cast a shadow spell at Kai. The dragon didn't take well to this and lunged. He crushed the bones in his jaws with little effort.

A second mage dropped to its knees and collapsed under the intense psychic energy of the espeon.

The fight continued this way; the raiders were unrelenting. The death knight's runeblade shattered the body of the last skeleton. Noth saw he was getting nowhere and returned to the fight. No sooner had he touched the ground than he was nearly thrown off his feet by an ice lance. He pulled himself together and lunged at the mage who'd attacked. He saw something from the corner of his eye; he turned. The last thing he saw was the open maw of a drake.

The heroes continued into what appeared to be a twisted garden. Sickly moss covered the floor and mushrooms flourished, filling the air with noxious orange clouds. A swarm of sickly zubats dropped off a mushroom's edge. Their skin was brown and tight over their tiny skeletons. Pustules of yellow fluid grew in random clusters on their plagued forms.

They dove into the raiders, trying to bite them. The mages cast arcane explosions. It took only two to send the flying pokemon limply to the ground.

Misty looked around at their bodies. "My god, how many of them are there?"

"Thirty, I'd say," Lorien estimated.

"I certainly hope this was a flock that came through a portal in their cave – if each of these was taken from a trainer…"

Ash shuddered at the thought. The heroes had little time to discuss it, because a much larger, Azerothean bat had decided it also wanted to sample the blood of the living. Zin'ja shot at its chest. It squealed and dove at him. The fangs sunk into the troll's arm.

"Brave girl," the hunter muttered in genuine admiration of the plaguebat. He grabbed at its head and tried to yank it off. A jolt of electricity from pikachu caused the creature to clamp down harder for a moment before letting go. Misty healed the troll as Lorien took aim. The undead threw her dagger and it landed with a solid thump in the bat's chest. The creature was weakened greatly and floated slowly down through the air, unable to stay aloft.

Ash killed it before it hit the ground, and pulled the dagger from its body. He gave it back to the rogue. The march continued. Kai roasted plague maggots that swarmed the heroes, while they fought off more bats.

"I'm going to warn you now," James said, as he sliced a bat's wing off, "when you fight Heigan, it will be like no fight you've ever experienced."

"Why be that?" the troll asked.

"There was… how shall I put it… a running gag about Heigan in the Scourge."

Misty slammed her sword into a bat's skull. "I didn't know the Scourge had a sense of humor."

James ignored the comment and continued. "The joke was that Heigan's room in Naxxramas is a dance floor. I asked about it once; apparently the floor erupts with ooze in a predictable but stressfully quick manner, and to simply get around in there, you have to 'dance' your way through."

"That doesn't sound too intimidating," Gary stated. The mage threw a fireball at a bat that was circling above him.

The bat dropped down in front of James. "Until you realize that 'dancing' is our joking name for 'running madly this way and that to avoid being burned by acid'."

"So can you walk us through this?" Jessie asked, unnerved.

"I… don't know," the death knight admitted, "I only have a basic understanding."

They had reached the door. "Well," Ash muttered, "guess it's time for a crash course in dancing with Heigan."

Kai returned to human form and borrowed Meowth's dagger again. He knew he'd be too big and slow if he stayed a dragon.

The necromancer looked over and grinned. "I see you…"

The heroes rushed onto the platform Heigan was standing on. The fumes coming from the cracks in the floor were noxious and the raiders had to force themselves to keep breathing. Once on the platform, they started to attack.

Gary tried to cast a spell, but it fizzled out in his hands. The other casters were having similar problems. Ash was already shredding Heigan as quickly as he could.

"Get him off the platform!" Zaraia said, "We can't cast spells when he's around!"

"I'm not going anywhere, elf!" the man growled.

"Yes you are," James said, shoving Heigan off the platform. The necromancer scrambled to get off the place he was sitting, in such a hurry that he didn't even stand up to do so – he just scuttled backwards quickly. Green ooze exploded from the floor. He hurried to get to his feet. The melee fighters jumped down after him. The spellcasters found themselves able to cast again. Zaraia channeled arcane missiles. The paladins stood back and split their energy between healing and attacking. The archers fired a constant volley of arrows.

The necromancer saw green lava fly up from the floor next to him and rushed to the side as soon as it had gone down. The warrior followed, not allowing him to escape. A pyroblast flew overhead. Runes and shadowbolts slammed into Heigan. Kroll slammed his sword down into the stone, having missed the necromancer. Heigan parried Ash's blows with his staff; he struggled to keep his attackers away. A frost spell slammed into him as the death knight unleashed the fury of winter.

Slime leapt up again, and Heigan rushed away. Two arrows narrowly missed him, and a third hit its mark. The warlocks had summoned their imps to aid them in the attack. It was a constant stream of fire toward the necromancer. Heigan reached the end of the room. He turned around and continued to fight.

"Hungry worms will feast on your flesh!" he threatened. A sword slipped past his staff and Ash got in an attack. Heigan slammed his staff into the warrior and threw him down on the ground. Then he darted. The raiders followed him. Lorien grabbed Ash's hand and yanked him to his feet.

"Hurry, warrior!" They darted off the stone they'd been standing on just as goo erupted from the floor.

William threw his own lava attacks at Heigan. "Two can play at this."

An arrow grazed Kai's ear. He cried out in shock. The fighters had to move again. Absol tackled Kai and shoved him out of the lava's way. The dragon-boy unlocked and kept fighting.

"Enough! The end is upon you!" Heigan roared, teleporting onto the platform. A poison cloud formed around him. Crying out, the casters scattered and rushed over to the fighters like terrified cockroaches. Slime burst up from the ground and the heroes rushed to avoid the next explosion. It didn't take long; they didn't even have a chance to stop running. They rushed into the next section immediately, being chased by the eruptions. They were completely helpless. Rex was caught behind the group as acid lava flew upwards. He put up a shield of Light just in time, then rushed to join the others again.

"The races of the world will perish! It's only a matter of time," Heigan assured them. He teleported back down and the clouds dissipated. The ranged attackers rushed to get back up. The vaporeon couldn't quite make the leap this time, and as the fighters rushed to get out of the way of the lava explosion, she clung to the edge of the platform, trying to pull herself up. Her master rushed over and yanked the pokemon up right as the acid burst from the ground.

Everyone was panting. The world around them was falling apart, degenerating into chaos. It was no longer about defeating Heigan, it was about surviving the dance with death.

James swung his runeblade, digging it deep into the necromancer's side. He stood there, stuck, for a moment. The warlock on the platform saw the lava in the cracks on the floor begin to rise.

"James! Get out of there!" The death knight ripped his runeblade free and scrambled to get out of the way. Heigan jumped away and impaled himself accidentally on Lorien's weapons. Aeroth continued to circle above, diving down from time to time. Moh'ra lunged at Heigan's arm; he moved at the right moment to send her flying past him. She crashed onto the ground. Her owner could see the terror in her eyes. Trembling, she darted to the platform and jumped up, being caught by the acid, just barely. She shrieked and the priestess healed her. Another arrow struck Heigan in the chest.

The necromancer brought his staff around into Kai's gut. The dragon-boy was sent sprawling onto the floor. He knew he didn't have time to get away.

Absol jumped up and bit the back of Heigan's neck. He tugged on it, forcing the necromancer to bend over backwards. Ash got a clear shot at the man's chest and went to attack when James grabbed his arm and yanked him aside. The pokemon darted after him. The ground erupted. Kai let out a scream of pain. The healers on the platform all concentrated their magic on him, trying to merely help him survive.

Heigan was caught in his own room's trap. He howled in pain and rushed the adventurers, still dripping with fiery green acid. A shadowbolt knocked him to the ground and a second eruption from the ground finished him off. The heroes rushed to get out. The melee fighters were right next to the door, and scrambled out. They turned. The ground repeatedly spewed green slime, separating them from the casters and archers. The ground went through its cycle again and the ranged attackers rushed across, panting. Everyone collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.

"That was intense," Jessie muttered, eyes wide.

"No kidding," Rex answered.

"I think I'm losing my fur," Meowth said, looking at his trembling paws. He was shaking so hard that he was shedding.

Misty glanced over her shoulder. "Uh! Guys!_ Not the time or place to rest!_"

There were many holes in the ground, with green slime in them. In nearly every hole, there was a snake-like tentacle with an eye on the end. Each eye glowed bright blue and let out faint crackling noises.

"Put up your best defenses; we're going to run right through," Rex ordered.

"What? What kind of crazy plan is that?" Gary asked, angry.

"You think we should fight these things?"

"_Yes!_"

"_You're insane!_" the Blood Knight exclaimed.

"Gary," Misty said, "I'm sorry, but I agree with Rex. There's no way we can fight them; there are just too many!"

The mage looked hurt. "Fine," he said, sounding defeated. The mages put up their mana shields, as the paladins put up their own bubbles. The warriors braced themselves to endure pain, and Lorien jumped onto a wall. She climbed up into the shadows. The trainers recalled their pokemon to keep them out of harm's way.

They ran. The eyestalks let out blasts of blue energy, but the heroes got through. They went out into the main corridor – for once, it was fairly empty. There, they regrouped and prepared for combat.

And so they confronted Loatheb, the fungal monster; a horrible, shaggy menace covered in mushrooms. Ash, James, and Rex took up their usual role of protecting their friends, grabbing the monster's attention right away. They slashed and stabbed at his legs. The spellcasters formed a semicircle behind the monster, as Lorien, Kai, the succubus, the felhunter, and the absol closed in, attacking Loatheb's legs from behind. Wendy and Misty took up their position behind the circle of casters.

Loatheb continued to smack at the plate-wearers below him for a while, before deciding that he'd had enough of his work being undone. A faint, blue glow surrounded him. Misty was in the middle of a healing spell when the Light around her hands fizzled out. The paladin gasped. Wendy had lost her healing ability as well!

"Heal me!" Ash called out.

"I can't! My healing spells don't work!" Misty replied, panicked.

"Neither do mine!" the priestess said.

Rex turned to Ash, intending to heal him – he couldn't do it either. "Damn! The monster must be negating all healing spells. Get a healing potion while I hold him back!" The Blood Knight stood in front of the warrior, thrusting his spear toward Loatheb's face. Ash fumbled for a healing potion, pulling it out of the plane of storage – it turned greyish almost immediately.

"You've got to be kidding me! Healing potions don't work either!"

"Must be some sort of anti-healing aura around him," Gary said, "Alright, Misty, Wendy, focus on attacking. Maybe the aura will drop occasionally and you'll be able to heal us, so pay attention!"

Misty attacked the fungal monster – strangely, her judgements worked just fine, but healing spells simply fizzled out.

Moh'ra jumped over the paladin's head and climbed up onto Loatheb's back, slashing and tearing with her sickle claws. Aeroth dived down from time to time. He grabbed a mushroom in his talons and yanked on it as hard as he could, tearing a large chunk out of the fungal beast's back. The owl dropped the mushroom on Starwisp's head, causing her to misfire her arrow.

"You idiot, don't bring it to me! Keep fighting!"

The troll just chuckled. "Mah raptor be smarter than your bird."

"Zin'ja, _a rock_ is smarter than my bird."

The fighting raged on. There was a distinct sense of hopelessness that came with the lack of healing. Zaraia was about to channel another set of arcane missiles when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A large, spikey orange _thing._ It floated over near her. Naturally, she smacked it with her staff, and it exploded in a cloud of sparkling dust. Gary had been casting a fireball at the time that the spore exploded, and suddenly his spell was much more powerful; a much larger fireball.

"Whoa!" Gary jumped back, startled. "How did you-?"

Zaraia announced her discovery. "If you see orange spores floating around, pop them! They'll make your spells stronger!" She then resumed her casting. Even the pokemon were affected by the magic. Pikachu's lightning attacks were stronger now.

Jessie cast a shadowbolt, and noticed the blue glow had gone down. "Aura down!"

Instantly, Misty healed Ash, Wendy healed James, and Rex healed himself. Soon after, the aura returned. The healers continued attacking. Another spore floated overhead. Meowth noticed it as he was about to shoot an arrow at Loatheb. He turned and shot the spore instead. The arrows of the hunters began to glow faintly.

Kroll severed a critical part of the fungal monster's leg. It topped over. The three fighters in front of it scattered as it thudded to the ground. Loatheb lashed out with a massive hand, slamming it into the ground near James. Misty cast a judgement, and – a rare occasion for her – landed the killing blow. The aura faded and the others were able to recover.

"You realize what this means?" the orc said.

"What does it mean, Kroll?" Will asked.

"It means we've devastated _three quarters_ of Naxxramas."

"Might as well finish what we started, then, yes?" Misty said, grinning.


	58. Naxxramas: The Military Wing

James grinned coldly as the group entered the last wing. "Now the fun begins…"

It was not long before a death knight attacked them. He was in bad condition, with plenty of flesh missing from his limbs. He was no less agile, however, than any other death knight. Misty struck him with an exorcism spell as the hunters took aim. Three arrows flew past and James didn't even get a chance to attack. The solitary death knight had stood no chance against fifteen invaders. They entered a small, square room. This time, there was more of a fight to be had.

A night elf, a tauren, and a human rushed over, aided by a shade. Kai tackled the night elf woman, while James and Jessie confronted the massive tauren. Lorien attacked the human.

"_You!_" she hissed, pinning him to the ground and gripping her dagger tightly, "It's been a while since I saw _you_ last." Misty came over and raised her sword. "No!" Lorien said, "This kill is mine!" She then repeatedly stabbed the death knight in the face, growling and muttering furiously, with only occasional words audible through the thick snarling. "…and that's for… and … how dare you… I told you… About time…"

The night elf death knight lunged. She grabbed Kai's throat and squeezed, holding him against the floor. She screamed as Ash dug his swords into her back. The dragon boy darted out from under the elf's crushing grip.

The tauren brought his rune-axe in a wide arc toward James, grazing his shoulder. He was too large and powerful for his fellow death knight to block his blows effectively. Jessie cast a demon's breath spell, buying her partner time to attack. James threw his entire weight into the sword, driving it through the tauren's armor and into his chest.

Gary threw a frost lance into the remaining death knight's neck and spun to cast a dragon's breath in the shade's face. Zaraia finished it off with an arcane blast.

Lorien spat on the corpse of the man she'd been stabbing.

"Who was that?" Rex asked her.

"An old… enemy… of mine…"

The heroes were about to continue on, when they noticed James was not with them. He was on the other end of the room, staring thoughtfully at a great, skull shaped structure with an anvil in its mouth.

Gary walked over. "What is this?"

"A runeforge," the death knight answered. He looked around and picked up a hammer, then placed his weapon on the anvil. Blue and purple fire flared up in the skull's mouth, and the others had to shield their eyes. James only had to squint as he worked a couple new runes onto his weapon. They were smaller than the others, but just as effective. The fire died down. "There…" He held the weapon up in front of his face, examining the flat side. He turned it around and looked at the other side for a moment. Satisfied, he returned to the group.

The heroes continued to a room where death knights were training against dummies. "Razuvious must be near," James stated. The paladins consecrated the ground and the warriors attacked. Kroll fought a female tauren, while Ash attacked a suspiciously young human death knight. His heart sunk when he realized that he was fighting another trainer – probably the owner of one of the pokemon in the Scourge citadel.

The spellcasters called down fire and ice from above. Rex was about to stab a troll death knight when a chunk of ice impaled it. The paladin glanced over his shoulder. Gary smirked. Rex rolled his eyes and continued fighting. The fight lasted and moved down some stairs into an area full of undead horses – like the one James had ridden before he'd taken Rivendare's mount. A pair of mounted death knights attacked as the foot soldiers the group had been fighting finally went down. Misty held up her shield just in time to block a blow from a runeblade. From behind her trusty barrier, she launched a counter-attack.

The other death knight attacked Gary and got a fireball in the face for her efforts. The mage's pokemon took a running jump and knocked the blood elf out of her saddle. Zin'ja put the horse out of its misery with a well-aimed arrow.

The dwarf, still on his horse, had incredible difficulty getting past the paladin's defenses. Finally, he got an attack in on her arm. She backed away as Mary helped her. The warlock whispered a dark word and cut a simple rune in the air. It didn't have much time to act, because a lava bolt killed the man.

James pulled his runeblade out of the blood elf's chest and looked around. "Be careful – Razuvious is very dangerous; only his students know his technique well enough to last very long against him. Fortunately, I am one of those students. Wendy, can you do a weak mind control?"

"A weak mind control?" the priestess asked.

"Yes. Controlling their will but not their exact actions. We want his students to attack him but we need them to fight in their own style, not yours."

"I can do that."

"Alright."

James led the way. Razuvious looked over his shoulder. "I knew you were strong," the instructor said.

"I can see why the Lich King has you so high on the Scourge pecking order. You do have an eye for potential in students," James replied, ready for action.

"Students, this is James. He was once a trainee of mine. Let's see how well you perform against him. Attack, as I taught you!"

"I don't think so," Wendy said, mind controlling one student.

The melee fighters attacked the other death knight understudy, save James, who attacked Razuvious himself. The runeblades met with a loud crash, locking together for a moment. The instructor twisted his sword in a strange way and James realized he'd forgotten the counter to this obscure technique. He quickly backed away, parrying a series of quick blows.

The student attacked the master, buying James precious time. The first set of arrows struck Razuvious as the archers attacked. Two arrows pierced the armor but the third bounced off.

A fireball hit the man in the side. Razuvious brought his blade _upwards_ into the student's side, then kicked him away. James lunged again as the instructor turned toward him. Razuvious grunted as the runeblade struck him. He brought his own blade up against James' chest in a strange way, scraping it rather than trying to actually attack. The noise produced by this was painful to hear and highly distracting. The entire raiding party faltered for a moment and involuntarily twitched a few times, shuddering at the sound.

"Haha… I'm just warming up!"

William had gotten too close, opening himself to an attack. Razuvious brought his serrated blade along the shaman's side like a saw, cutting deeply into him. He collapsed, gasping and clutching the wound. The shaman healed himself as Wendy renewed her mind control on the student death knight.

Meanwhile, the other student was all but defeated. The two warriors, the rogue, the beasts, and the dragon boy were unrelenting in their attacks. Kroll parried a blow and then took advantage of a mistake the death knight made, sliding his sword around the runeblade and straight into the man's throat.

Razuvious attacked James again. This time, the former student did remember a counter. He forced his old teacher's sword and arm into an awkward position with his hilt and launched his attack at Razuvious' face. The instructor ducked and swung his blade up above his head to parry the second part of the attack. His current student again distracted him, stabbing him in the back while he was busy fending off James. The endless stream of spells and arrows weakened him severely. The rapidash reared up above him and brought its hooves down on Razuvious. Forced to the floor by the blow, the instructor was an easy target. William commanded the stone below the death knight's face to form a spike. The floor of Naxxramas shot upward and impaled the man. Moh'ra killed the remaining student and satisfied her hunger.

The heroes rested for a while. They had been fighting for so long; they were quite tired of the endless battle.

"Can you believe we've almost wiped out the entire force of Naxxramas?" Ash asked.

"Hard to imagine that we've succeeded where so many have failed," Mary replied.

"We need to finish them off completely," Misty pointed out, "or they'll just recover."

"Come on. We need to keep moving," Gary said, getting up. The others sighed and murmured in agreement.

They had no idea how to counter what they saw next. A sword – just a sword, with nobody wielding it – swung at Meowth. He jumped away in a panic. A similar axe attacked Starwisp. Even James had no idea what to do – he had not seen anything like this in Acherus.

Gary cast a spell and the sword dropped out of the air, lifeless as any other normal piece of metal. "They're cursed! Zaraia, help me remove the curses!" The mages worked quickly to fight off the unholy weapons as they came. Slowly, the group moved forward. They passed the weaponry and began fighting more death knights.

After this quick and relatively uneventful skirmish, the heroes found themselves in a large room. There were many pillars going down the middle of the room, with a slit between each set of pillars, effectively dividing the room in half. Suspicious, the heroes split up as they had during the fight with Thaddius. It proved to be a good idea.

"Foolishly you have sought your own demise. Brazenly you have disregarded powers beyond your understanding. You have fought hard to invade the realm of the harvester. Now there is only one way out – to walk the lonely path of the damned."

From the slit in the center of the room, a gate shot up. The heroes were separated. A gate in the wall opened on one side, and a group of death knights charged in. Kroll attacked. "_Lok'tar ogar!_"

Zaraia began channeling a rain of ice. The raptor rushed in as her master took aim. A mounted death knight joined the fray. James attacked the draenei, who countered with a frost spell. James returned the spell. "Two can play at this game."

Misty gripped the bars of the gate – there was no way she could climb over. "We've got to get over there somehow!"

Lorien kicked the knight who was attacking her in the gut, sending him flying against a wall. Rex followed the undead woman's attack up with a judgement, and the death knight slumped to the floor. Black smoke poured out of his body and up to Gothik the Harvester. After passing through his hands like a snake, it streamed down to the other side of the fence and materialized into a spectral copy of the death knight that had just been destroyed.

"Misty!" Gary called out, "Looks like we don't need to go over there after all!" The paladin turned. The spectral death knight lunged at the mage, who blinked away, turned, and cast a frostfire bolt. The paladin helped him, casting an exorcism on the spirit.

More mounted death knights and a few on foot came through the gate on the other side. A night elf with a lance charged at the Blood Knight. The horse reared up as the rider aimed his spear. Rex was able to dart to the side and aim his own spear. The horse impaled itself on the ranseur and collapsed. Rex changed his grip and used his spear like a staff, quickly disarming his foe.

The horse spirit entered the fight on the other side of the fence. Kai turned into a black drake and breathed fire at it, while the warrior kept busy with a foot soldier spirit. Though the ghosts were see-through, they were also very solid. Ash caught the spectral runeblade between his swords. Locking one hilt into his opponent's, he attacked the death knight's face.

On both sides of the fence, fire rained down as the warlocks cast their powerful spells. Lightning arced around as William and pikachu both contributed to the battle.

A mounted death knight was about to bring his axe down on Wendy when he fell out of his saddle, a knife sticking out of his neck. Lorien ran over and retrieved her weapon. A houndoom darted out of the gateway, followed by its master. Espeon tackled the undead pokemon and they tumbled across the floor, spewing fire and bolts of psychic energy.

Starwisp took aim at the spectral rider in front of her. "Behind you!" Ash warned, attacking the rider for the elf. She spun around and found herself just barely still within shooting range of a charging death knight. She shot her in the face.

Absol was harassing a spectral horse while his master fought its rider. Gary took a minor wound to the chest and barely avoided an attack to the face. Locking his opponent in place with a frost nova, he backed away and threw an ice lance, followed up with a fireball.

The gate on the other side shut. A death knight attacked Zaraia. She used her staff to attack, knocking his feet out from under him. The blood elf smoothly transitioned into an arcane barrage.

Kroll was surrounded. Holding his sword rigidly, he spun around in a whirlwind attack. The death knights didn't stand a chance.

Charmeleon knocked a rider off his saddle and pinned him to the ground. Rapidash and the horse both reared up and kicked at each other with their powerful hooves.

James fought the youngest death knight – the owner of the houndoom. His fellow trainer was surprisingly skilled with a runeblade, and put up quite a fight.

A spectral pokemon materialized on the other side of the fence. Vaporeon blasted it with water attacks, and her master struck it down with a judgement.

"I have waited long enough! Now you face the harvester of souls!" Gothik teleported down to the side where the last death knights were being killed.

The raiders transitioned into an attack on the necromancer, swarming him.

The battle on the other side was still raging, as the spirits of the newly slain death knights continued struggling against the invaders. Misty used the spell she'd first tried in the dragonblight, causing all undead near her to explode in a huge flash of light. Those that managed to survive were quickly picked off by the warrior and mage.

Rex, James, and Kroll ganged up on Gothik, as Zaraia and Mary cast their favored spells. Gothik cast a series of shadowbolts in quick succession, causing Kroll to back away, growling. James continued the relentless assault, backed by the paladin's holy spells. Having had enough, Gothik teleported to the other side.

He instantly had a battle-high warrior attempting to shred his face with a pair of swords. Backing away, Gothik tried to drain Ash's soul, but Gary countered the spell. Angry, the harvester growled and cast several shadowbolts at the mage. He was dazed for a moment by a judgement from the paladin.

Starwisp stood back and furiously looked for a way to reunite the two groups. Finally, she found what she was looking for. On Gothik's old platform, there was a lever.

"Cover me!" the night elf said. Jessie stopped attacking and backed away to protect the huntress. Starwisp's eyes glowed green as she took control of Aeroth. The bird flew up to the platform and grabbed the lever with his talons. Flapping as hard as he could, he tried to pull it back, but it was very stubborn.

On the ground level, Zin'ja, Mary, Zaraia, and Rex attacked through the fence, casting spells past it or shooting arrows over it.

Ash landed a couple attacks on Gothik's chest. The necromancer was about to teleport when the bird successfully dragged the lever back to the original position. The gate clicked down into its slot. The sides were connected. Gothik knew teleporting would do him no good. He threw shadowbolts everywhere. The warrior was forced away but the ranged attackers continued their assault. The harvester stopped throwing shadowbolts and picked a random target to drain the soul of. Again, a mage interrupted his spell! He threw a shadowbolt at Zaraia, furious. She blinked out of the way. Kai breathed fire on Gothik, who cried out in pain. He teleported away, but the raiders simply swarmed him again. Wendy killed him with a blast of light.

"I… am undone…"

XXX

The death knight fell, defeated. The heroes, now just outside the room of the Four Horsemen, sat down to rest. Their presence had been detected, because a voice called out to them.

"Invaders! Cease this foolish venture at once! Turn away while you still can, I beg you!"

"Come, Zeliek, do not drive them out," a female voice replied, "Not until we've had our fun!"

A second female voice, very calm, sent chills down James' spine. "Enough talk. Let them come. We shall grind their bones to dust."

"I do hope they stay long enough for me to... introduce myself," the first female voice said.

The male voice – Zeliek's – spoke up again. "Perhaps, they will come to their senses, and run away _as fast as they can_."

A new voice, that of a dwarf. "I've heard enough a' yer snivelin', Zeliek! Shut yer flytrap a'fore I shut it for ya!"

"Conserve your anger," the nearly-monotone female voice said, "You'll have outlets for your frustrations soon enough…"

The raiders entered the room. James' fear was confirmed. For there, on the platform in the middle of the room, stood the four horsemen: The irritable Thane Korth'azz on a green horse, the sadistic Lady Blaumeux on a navy blue horse, the heroic Sir Zeliek on a white horse, and on the red horse was a pale draenei woman in red armor.

"_Tarani,_" James growled.

"James."

"I thought you were free!"

"I am free," Tarani answered.

"You're serving him of your own free will?" James snarled in shock and hatred.

"I am. He has ordered us to slay any intruders. Goodbye, James. Horsemen, to your stations." The four riders went to the corners of the room.

"Split, standard way," Gary instructed, "Paladins to the back and heal yourselves from time to time. The rest of us will fight the dwarf and the draenei."

Rex ran over to Blaumeux, who started throwing shadowbolts.

Misty rushed over to fight Sir Zeliek. She winced as the power that she often wielded struck back at her. "I'm sorry, young paladin! I… have no _choice_ but to obey the Lich King!"

James charged at Tarani with a furious shout. "_Traitor!_" He began to hack at her at twice the speed he normally attacked at, but in doing so, let his guard down. Tarani knocked him onto the ground.

"Try again, James."

Zin'ja started shooting at her but she didn't seem to react much. Zaraia channeled arcane missiles while Mary cut runes in the air. Wendy backed away and tried to heal both groups. Lorien joined James in the attack, but Tarani was able to calmly fend them both off. Rapidash and charmeleon blasted the mounted death knight with fire while espeon channeled psychic energy. Vaporeon stood at her fellow eeveelution's side and backed the attack with powerful water blasts. Tarani struck the horse pokemon with a nasty shadow attack. In return, Moh'ra harassed the draenei's mount.

Even as he was attacking Misty, Sir Zeliek called out advice to the raiders. "Don't stay too near any of us for too long! We have auras that will drain your strength, getting more dangerous over time, but each aura is separate. You'll need to move around to keep from being overwhelmed, so-"

"_Zeliek!_" Blaumeux scolded, "_Don't make me come over there!_"

"Thanks for the advice, Sir Zeliek," Misty said, parrying a sword blow, "You do get yelled at a lot, don't you?"

"Unfortunately. Look, please, run away from here! Take all your friends with you while you still can!"

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Sir."

Kai heard the undead paladin's advice and decided that this was a fight he'd rather have his human form during. He would be faster that way. Ash continued to attack the dwarf. He was at a noticeable disadvantage, fighting from the ground against a mounted opponent. Even so, he was mostly able to protect himself. Gary, Jessie, and William cast their spells at Korth'azz while Starwisp shot a relentless volley of arrows. Aeroth continually dove down, squawking loudly and attacking with his claws, annoying the Thane to no end. Meowth shot less at Korth'azz and more at the horse, aggravating the animal just as the absol did.

"Jessie, remember your demons!" Mary called out. Jessie glanced over at the imp that was helping her fellow warlock and then summoned her own imp.

Ash was panting in exhaustion. Zeliek was right – just being near the horsemen drained strength. "Switch," he called out. His group and James' changed position. The horsemen tried to chase them, but by the time they'd started moving the groups were already in position.

Misty and Rex changed positions.

"Oh, going away already?" Blaumeux whined, disappointed, "I was just getting started!"

"Good girl," Zeliek told the paladin girl as she rushed over to the other death knight.

Jessie looked at Tarani, casting a shadowbolt. "Hey… I remember you…"

"Who is this, anyway?" Gary asked, joining with a pyroblast.

"She taught James how to be a warrior shortly before they were both killed at the chapel in the Plaguelands."

Kroll got a blade to the shoulder as he tried to attack Thane Korth'azz. The dwarf threw a fireball down on the attackers.

"Two can play at that!" Zaraia said, casting a fireball right back at the dwarf.

James cast a frost spell at his fellow death knight. "_Cool down,_ Thane."

Zin'ja aimed another arrow. Moh'ra bit down on the horse's flank. The skeletal steed whinnied and bolted, trying to get away. Korth'azz nearly fell down. "Hold still, ya stupid beast!"

Lorien got behind the rider and attacked repeatedly with her daggers. Korth'azz tried to turn around and attack her, but his horse was slow to turn in such tight quarters.

Misty darted out of the circle of shadow that had appeared under her. There were now several of them on the ground. She rarely got a chance to attack.

"Yes, dance, my pretty! Dance! It amuses me!" Lady Blaumeux cackled.

Rex took a sword to the arm as he tried to parry Zeliek's attack. "Forgive me!"

Ash caught Tarani's sword with his hilt and stabbed the draenei's side. She grunted and cast a shadow spell at him. She tried to turn her horse to get a better angle of attack, but absol was tugging furiously on her steed's caparison. A frostfire bolt struck the death knight in the face.

"Switch," James yelled. The heroes once again rushed to the other side of the room. The fight raged on.

"Hello again," Misty said, returning to her original station in front of Zeliek. He merely sighed, having given up on trying to get her to run away. He brought his sword down – it connected with the girl's. The blades slid down each other and Zeliek's sword, in a freak accident, went all the way to the base of Misty's blade, and struck the Eye of the Earthmother, shattering it. There was a powerful explosion of Holy Light that knocked both Misty and Zeliek backwards. All fighting in the room stopped for a brief moment as Scourge and invader alike turned, wondering what in the world just happened.

Zeliek was flat on his back, on the ground. His horse was panicking. Automatically, he sat up, and then it hit him: _he sat up. Of his own free will!_ He gasped and looked at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. In disbelief, he started laughing. Sir Zeliek grabbed his sword and leapt to his feet, grinning. He got back on his horse and tugged the reins, galloping toward Blaumeux, sword raised.

Misty sat up, confused, then also started grinning when she saw the look on the undead paladin's face. She got up and followed him. Lady Blaumeux turned her horse and tried to parry the blow from Zeliek's weapon. She was too slow. He knocked her off her horse, leaving a bleeding gash in her gut. Rex finished her off by putting his ranseur through her neck. The three paladins joined the other groups.

"I… did not see that coming…" Tarani stated, with the slightest hint of shock in her voice. The other heroes still didn't quite know what was going on. All they knew was that, suddenly, they had the upper hand. Korth'azz threw a fireball at Sir Zeliek, but he simply took the hit and healed himself. The distraction allowed Ash a chance to strike. Both swords dug deep into the dwarf's side. He tried to fight back, but was blasted off his horse by a pyroblast from Gary. The skeletal horse jumped over Ash and ran away. Meowth pulled his dagger out and brought it down into the Thane's chest.

The entire group could now gang up on Tarani. She backed into her corner. An arrow dug itself into the side of her neck, just barely, so it hung by a loop of flesh. A holy spell struck her powerfully, from an unknown source. Suddenly, from behind the rest, a ribbon of purple energy yanked her off her horse. She found herself at James' feet.

"This is a traitor's reward, just as Rivendare got!" With that, he brought the runeblade down into her neck. The draenei slumped to the floor.

Sir Zeliek dismounted. He placed the tip of his sword on the ground and knelt before the heroes, both hands on the weapon's hilt, cape spread out behind him. He bowed his head; the motion was emphasized by the wing-like structures that adorned his headband.

"I am forever in your debt, heroes – especially yours, young paladin. How may I ever repay you?"

"Get up," Gary said, "You don't need to kneel to us."

"What happened anyway?" Ash asked.

The undead paladin stood. "In all honesty, I'm not sure how I did that," Misty said, "I think it was the Eye of the Earthmother – the thing Roc gave me back in Crystalsong. I think Sir Zeliek hit it just right and it… blew up, I guess."

"Well," Zeliek said, "how it happened matters not. It is a blessing of the Light; I'm free again. Might I have the honor of knowing your names?"

The introductions took a while. The man nodded respectfully as each person gave their name.

"Would you like to come with us?" Misty asked.

"It would be _an honor, _young paladin."


	59. The End of Naxxramas

"Zeliek," James said, as they were about to step into the teleporter to the last section of Naxxramas, "Do you have any information about what we are about to go up against? All I know is that Kel'Thuzad the Lich and his dragon reside in the final section of Naxxramas."

The undead paladin shook his head. "I know nothing about the dragon. The other horsemen kept me in the dark about everything except what they knew would upset me – and even then, they didn't tell me much. They knew I would spill information to invaders. However, I _can_ tell you a few critical things about Kel'Thuzad. Obviously, he has powerful mind-control – or, in my case, body-control – abilities. Also, as insane as it sounds, you'll need to conserve your strength – the Lich _will_ eventually call for aid, and Arthas _will_ provide it, quickly. If we are to survive the attack, we must save our most powerful spells until his reinforcements arrive. The only other information I have is that he has many guards already with him, though I don't know what sorts – we should decide beforehand who will be in charge of killing them, and who will be in charge of keeping Kel'Thuzad busy."

"Thank you."

Kai spoke up, "Well, if there's a dragon, I can tell you this much – don't stand behind him, where you can get hit with the tail, and don't stand in front, where you can get hit with claws and teeth and breath weapons. Attack him from the side. If he takes a deep breath, hide behind something. If he starts flying, scatter – grounded beings standing in a clump scream 'target practice' to an airborne dragon. For similar reasons, Sir Zeliek, you might want to take this fight on foot – dismiss the horse."

"Good to know, Kai," Gary said.

"We ready then?" Misty asked.

"We're good to go."

The heroes teleported into the frost wyrm's lair. Sapphiron, the huge skeletal dragon, lay like a giant guard dog in the center of the icy room. Upon hearing the raiders, his massive head snapped up and stared right at what he perceived as a banquet. Hauling himself to his feet, the dragon attacked.

"Split as normal!" Gary commanded, "My group to the right, James' group to the left! Ash, take the center – you're our diversion! Zeliek, come with me! Let's go!"

The heroes felt a chill as they neared the great dragon; colder than the rest of Naxxramas. Even though they were used to the climate of Northrend, they shivered. The ice stung their faces and froze their hair into clumps. This cold was _supernatural_; even the death knights shook a bit, as it was cold, even for their long-dead bodies.

Ash took up his spot in front of Sapphiron. The dragon roared loudly, shaking the ground. "_Yeah, same to you!_" the warrior replied, stepping toward the dragon in a mimic of his threat display. Sapphiron snorted and lunged, snapping his head forward and meeting a pair of crossed blades. The warrior was shoved back, his feet slipping on the icy floor.

Misty made up her mind to not let the cold get to her. She stopped shivering and focused solely on keeping the warrior safe. The others, taking heart in her devotion to the cause, also resolved to resist the cold. Even so, Gary and Zaraia put up their frost resistance spells.

Sapphiron opened his massive jaws, stretching them out wider than Ash could possibly block – with no soft tissue in his mouth, he could fearlessly bite right past the warrior's defenses. The maw of the beast was powerful; there was no way Ash could possibly hold it open. He backed away. The dragon stepped forward, swinging his tail and nearly striking Zaraia, who was standing a little too near.

"Don't back away!" Kai warned, "That's just what he wants you to do!"

"Well what else do you suggest I do?" Ash yelped, _jumping_ out of the way as Sapphiron's massive, icy claw slammed into the ground with such force that it embedded itself in the rock.

"Try attacking the nasal cavity," James suggested, as he forced the side of his runeblade an inch deep into the dragon's hind leg, as though chopping down a tree, "the bones there are fragile and frost wyrms don't like it when you touch them there."

Sapphiron snapped his jaws at Ash again, but this time the warrior retaliated, driving a sword up into the dragon's nose. Sapphiron shrieked and reeled backwards, retreating back the full distance he had chased Ash, returning to the center of the room. He spread his massive wings and began flapping. The attackers backed away, the casters continuing their attack as they retreated. The great skeletal dragon rose up into the air and circled.

"_Don't stand near anyone else!_" Kai yelled. The heroes scattered as the frost wyrm circled overhead. The inside of Sapphiron's mouth glowed bright blue for a moment, and he spat a frostbolt at Misty. Gary grabbed her wrist and teleported out of the way. The second frostbolt was directed at the two eeveelutions, who both ran in different directions to avoid the hit. A third ball of ice struck the ground at Zeliek's feet, throwing him backwards but leaving him barely unharmed. The final frostbolt slammed into Zaraia, but did minimal damage because of her resistance spells. Even so, she was frozen solid for a moment – nothing she wasn't used to; she'd used her own ice block spells frequently.

The skeletal dragon's ribcage expanded – he had no lungs, but it was clear he was taking a deep 'breath'. "Get behind the ice blocks!" Mary ordered, diving for the nearest ice block. The heroes streamed to the four blocks of ice, huddling in groups of three or four behind the relatively small shields, pokemon and hunter's beasts underfoot. It was good that they did, because Sapphiron let out a blast of frost, straight toward the ground. Like a waterfall reaching its bottom, the frost spread out in all directions, blasting past the ice blocks like a tsunami. There was a loud thud as the dragon landed.

The heroes returned to their positions. Zaraia broke from her icy prison. A hammer of light struck the great beast, followed by a second, and a third, as the paladins worked together to bring down the Scourge monstrosity. Sapphiron lashed out with his claws again, this time swiping like a cat. The massive, bony talon swatted Ash away like a mere fly. He slammed into a wall on the other side of the dragon's lair and slumped to the ground. Sapphiron stalked forward to finish him off.

Zaraia ran out in front of the dragon and began attacking with a furious arcane barrage. The frost dragon lifted his head back for a moment in surprise – did this puny elf really think she was going to stop him from getting to his meal? Then he opened his jaws and prepared to attack. Sapphiron didn't know what hit him – something knocked his head to the side and dislocated his jaw. James crashed to the ground and quickly picked himself up again. He rushed over to the runeblade that had been ripped from his hand by the powerful impact. He picked it up in a rush as Sapphiron wiggled his jaw around until it cracked loudly back into place and swung his head around to stare in shock at the death knight. There was a very deep gash in the side of his mouth.

The dragon let out a horrific roar and charged toward the death knight. Misty rushed over to the fallen warrior to heal him. Nearly unconscious, with blood coming from the side of his mouth, he was leaning limply against the wall. He was very, very cold, and blood was seeping from his armor, which was presumably the only thing holding his shattered body together – nearly half his bones were broken. Misty had never seen him hurt so badly, but he was still alive. She had to cast several healing spells on him before he was able to stand again.

James was simply retreating; he knew he stood no chance against the furious frost dragon, who chased him around the room. "_Help!_" Sapphiron lunged, only to receive a runeblade in the nose. He backed away and his forelegs nearly collapsed beneath him as Zeliek struck the unholy monster with all the force of the Light he could muster. Enraged, the frost wyrm turned to the undead paladin and let out another screaming roar.

A pyroblast slammed into the dragon's head. Sapphiron spread his wings again and took flight. Everyone scattered. Starwisp aimed an arrow up at the wyrm's face as he circled. She let the bowstring go and the arrow flew up and missed its intended target – it struck the eye of the dragon instead. Sapphiron roared and wheeled around, trying to fly and pull the arrow out of the eyesocket at the same time. The mages lost no time in using the opportunity. Arcane missiles and fireballs streamed up at the monster and the warlocks joined in. He snagged the arrow with his claw and yanked it out.

A blast of ice froze Kroll where he stood. The dragon spat ice again, at Lorien. She dove and rolled to the side, springing to her feet at the end of the evasive motion. William shot a lightning attack up at Sapphiron, who responded with a blast of ice. Everyone immediately ran to the ice blocks as the dragon prepared to attack with his wave of ice again. It tore past them, all safe behind the blocks of ice. The dragon landed again. The heroes rushed out to fight him again.

"_Come on, is that all you've got?_" Ash taunted the dragon, "_I can take more! Come on!_" Sapphiron snarled and swiped at him again with his massive claws. The warrior jumped out of the way and darted back in. "Nice try!" The dragon snapped at him, but he relentlessly slashed at the snout with his blades, infuriating the frost wyrm. Sapphiron lunged again and again, but the warrior was quick, always dodging or retaliating.

Meowth stopped firing his arrows. He slung the bow over his back and took a running jump at the dragon. Grabbing one of the ribs, he swung to the hip, then darted up the dragon's back and began sabotaging the wing bones. Sapphiron stomped his feet to try to get him off, but failed.

Rex drove the tip of his ranseur into the ground, consecrating it below the dragon's feet. Pikachu shocked the dragon with a blast of electricity. Kroll broke the dragon's fibula with a sharp smack of his sword. Wendy got too close to the beast's tail; it swung straight into her and sent her flying several feet to the side. She healed herself and got back up.

Moh'ra tore a rib off the undead monster and fell down. The raptor got back up and continued the attack. Jessie's shadowbolt shattered one of the dragon's icy horns. The beast was beginning to fall apart!

Misty consecrated the ground below the dragon, just as Sapphiron reared up. The claws came back down with a thud, narrowly missing the paladin. For the second time, the dragon's jaw was dislocated, this time by a powerful pyroblast. As Sapphiron tried to put his bones back into place, Ash took a shot at the dragon's head. The swords pierced a critical crack that had been opened up by the previous attacks. The skull split and the great dragon let out a final roar before collapsing to the ground.

The heroes recovered quickly and hurried along the final corridor. The walls were decorated with plain but vivid blue tapestries, which matched the long carpet that ran down the center of the path, flanked on both sides by green goo. They heard voices as they approached the great gate at the end of the hall.

"Your forces are nearly marshalled to strike back against your enemies, my liege."

"Kel'Thuzad," Zeliek whispered to the heroes, recognizing the voice of his tormenter.

"_Soon we will eradicate the Alliance and Horde_," the voice of the Lich King replied, "_then the rest of Azeroth will fall before the might of my army_."

"Yes, Master. The time of their ultimate demise grows close…" The heroes arrived at the gate and stared in. Kel'Thuzad apparently noticed their reflections in the ice, because his mouth opened for a moment in surprise, then he said, "What is this?"

"_Invaders…_ _**here?**__**Destroy**_ _them, Kel'Thuzad! Naxxramas must not fall!_"

"As you command!" Kel'Thuzad answered Arthas. Little did either of them know, it was far too late – Naxxramas had already fallen; every wing had been completely cleared of Scourge.

The gates creaked open. The invaders charged to the center of the room. Kel'Thuzad floated up out of reach. "Minions, soldiers, servants of the cold dark, obey the call of Kel'Thuzad!" The ice in several sockets in the wall shattered. The heroes' eyes widened; they were surrounded and outnumbered. Stitched monsters lumbered out. They were overtaken from behind by skeletons with glowing crystals in their chests. Above them, banshees floated out.

"Melee fighters take the abominations!" Gary commanded, "Archers, Jessie, Zaraia, and vaporeon take the skeletons! Wendy and Misty stay in the center to heal! Everyone else attack the banshees!"

An arrow struck a skeleton's crystal, shattering it with a single shot. A second skeleton crumbled at the force of a blast of water. Pikachu and Espeon channeled their energy into a banshee. Rex thrust his spear into an abomination's gut. A pair of skeletons pressed forward; one was taken down by a shadowbolt, then Jessie's imp cast a fireball on the other.

Two abominations lumbered forward, forcing Kai and Lorien back toward the center of the green circle – no, they couldn't fall back! They had to stay in their circle, to protect the healers at the center! They darted forward, lunging aggressively.

A banshee screamed as Gary's frostfire bolt took her down. She dissipated into the air, and the mage immediately turned his attention to another of the undead elves.

Zeliek dodged an attack and retaliated, first with his sword, then with a judgement. The abomination moaned and collapsed, still twitching. The undead paladin leapt up onto the body and thrust his sword down into the neck of the monster, severing the head.

Rapidash reared up nobly, whinnying, and casting flames from her horn, enveloping a ghostly elf.

James lopped an arm off the abomination as it tried to attack him; it brought its other arm down with a chain, but the death knight deftly dodged the blow and continued his attack.

Zin'ja shot another skeleton's heart-crystal out. "How many ya got, mon?" He called.

"How many what?" Starwisp asked, taking aim at a skeleton.

"Kills."

Another skeleton fell. "I lost count at thirty eight, I think."

"Hm. Lost mah count around forty-ish. Give 'r take a couple."

"Let's call it a draw," the night elf suggested, pulling an arrow out of her quiver.

Aeroth swooped down and tore an abomination's eyes out. Flailing blindly, the monster waved its arms frantically. Kroll took a painful blow to the side, but was healed by the priestess in the center.

Moh'ra lifted her head and opened her blood-spattered jaws, roaring in triumph over the corpse of her target. In a bloodthirsty rage, she darted off to another abomination, taking a running jump onto the back of the monster Ash was fighting. Thrown off balance, the abomination stumbled and opened itself to a fatal attack.

Meowth stood atop an abomination's corpse, pulling an arrow back and shutting one eye; he let the arrow go – bullseye! The skeleton collapsed mid-stride!

William teamed up with Gary to take down a particularly tough banshee. When fire and lightning struck at the same time, the spirit exploded.

The chambers were empty now – Kel'Thuzad's guards had failed him. The lich came down. "Pray for mercy," he hissed, "for the end is upon you…"

The last skeleton fell to Zaraia's arcane blast. The final abomination died at the edge of Kroll's blade. The last two banshees collapsed under the fiery assault of the charmeleon and rapidash.

The heroes rushed at the lich, attacking violently. "Hahaha! I will freeze the blood in your veins," Kel'Thuzad cackled, amused at the pathetic attempts. Unbelievably cold ice froze around Ash, then leaped to Lorien, James, and Rex. The lich laughed madly. The heroes could _feel_ the chill emanating from the blocks of ice, even as far away as they were. The ice was _deadly_ cold, and the healers recognized this. Misty, Wendy, Sir Zeliek, and William all focused their healing abilities on the afflicted. After a moment, the ice broke.

Kel'Thuzad was preparing a frostbolt. "Spread out!" Misty yelled, "Spread out so he can't chain-ice you! _Everyone_ who can attack from a distance, do so, and I mean _everyone_ who possibly can! I don't care how weak you are; if you can physically fight from a distance, do so now!"

"You try so hard," the lich said, "what a pity! Your tactics will not save you."

Everyone scattered, staying as far apart as they could. Kai returned to his true form so he could fight with fire rather than having to stand near anyone. Only Ash, Kroll, Lorien, absol, and the hunters' pets stayed near Kel'Thuzad. They arranged themselves into a pentagon formation, with Aeroth circling above.

Holy magic struck the lich with all the force of righteousness. Fire, shadow, and arcane spells pelted him. Arrows rained down into him. Lightning, psychic energies, and water raged around Kel'Thuzad. James unrelentingly beat the Scourge lieutenant down with icy spells from a distance.

The black drake opened his mouth and let out a blast of fire. He happened to glance down – a red rift had opened under him. He flapped his wings and took off, just in time. Red and black fire erupted from the fissure. Kai landed on the other side of the room. "Watch out for rifts!"

Zaraia had gotten too ambitious with her arcane barrage. She'd irritated her target, who turned to her. "Your petty magics are no challenge to the might of the Scourge," Kel'Thuzad said. Zaraia let out a horrible scream as her own mana exploded.

"_Leave her alone!_" Ash shouted, doubling his attack speed. Again he was frozen in place, but the spell didn't jump to anyone else.

Misty went to heal him, but was interrupted. Kel'Thuzad waved his bony finger at the heroes scoldingly. "Oh, no you don't! Your souls belong to _me_, now…" The paladin couldn't control her own motions. Gary noticed her strange behavior immediately and polymorphed her to keep her safe.

Sir Zeliek dropped to his knees. He was trembling visibly, straining with everything he had to not succumb to the Scourge's control a second time. Through painfully gritted teeth, he growled, "_Not… this time… Kel'Thuzad…!_" He took a step to his feet, against his will.

"You fight hard, as always, _death knight_. You should know by now it is futile… You belong to _me…_"

James, also having been Scourge before, was easy to afflict with the mind control, but having broken from the Lich King's will in the past, like Zeliek, he wouldn't go down without a fight. The death knight struggled, and his motions were slow and jerky, but eventually, he lost the conflict. Zaraia followed Gary's example and polymorphed him as well.

"_Heal Ash, or he'll be killed!_" Starwsip cried out. Wendy rushed to the warrior's aid, just in time – he was about to die in his frigid tomb.

Zeliek was on his feet again, sword in hand, but still fighting with all his might, a losing battle though it was. "_I… will __**not**__… bend… to… __**your**__ will… again!_"

"Give in, fool… It will all be over soon…"

Kroll took his opportunity – Kel'Thuzad needed immense amounts of concentration to re-chain Zeliek to the Scourge, and he was necessarily distracted by his mind-battle with the paladin. The orc let out a battle cry as he charged, sword raised. The lich snapped out of his focus and turned just in time to see a huge sword flying straight at his face. He moved, but only partially dodged the attack; it went into his ribs instead, breaking a good fourth of them.

The loss in concentration allowed the undead paladin to recover and resume his attack. "May the Light have mercy on you, Kel'Thuzad; I will not!"

The polymorphs broke. Misty and James had not been freed by the lich's loss of focus. Lorien rushed over to her fellow undead and kicked him in the chest, hard. "Snap out of it, James! Don't let them control you again! Fight him, damn you!"

William took over the polymorphing, using a spell a troll voodoo priest had taught him – a hex. He turned the paladin into a frog, again to protect her and the others.

"Bah! Useless!" Kel'Thuzad said. He let the two controlled heroes go. The hex broke nearly immediately.

"Let's see how well you fare against our own mind games!" Mary said, "Espeon! Attack!" The psychic pokemon channeled her energy into the lich, who seemed quite surprised at the power of the attack.

The paladins all cast their judgements at the same time, giving Kel'Thuzad quite the shocking blow. Fireballs streamed up from Gary's hands, backed by the warlocks' imps and Jessie's own destructive spells. It was then that the lich realized just how much trouble he was in.

"_Master! I require aid!_"

The Lich King's voice echoed through the room. "_Very well… Warriors of the frozen wastes, rise up! I command you to fight, kill, and die for your master. Let none survive…_"

Three crypt lords warped in. "Rex, come with me!" James shouted, "Absol, Moh'ra, Aeroth! Come!" The others did as the death knight commanded. Otherwise, the fight continued as it had.

Starwisp shot an arrow at Kel'Thuzad, embedding it in his collarbone. He snapped it off angrily, then turned back to his target. He started casting a frostbolt at Misty, but her pokemon took a daring move, running over and leaping onto the lich's chest. Vaporeon clawed wildly at Kel'Thuzad's face, clinging to his chest with her feet and tail. He yelled in rage and threw her off with a powerful frost blast, locking her in a block of ice. She melted it around her and aimed a hydropump at her opponent at the same time as he cast a frostbolt. The resultant explosion of icy shards caused everyone to scatter and dive for cover.

James slashed wildly at the small crypt lord, as it tried in vain to defend itself. Rex held a second one at bay with his ranseur; whenever it moved toward him, he'd lunge violently, or cast a holy spell at it.

The third spider lord thundered wildly across the room, trying to tear the absol off its head. The pokemon had it in a bulldog grip and wasn't about to let go. The crypt lord shook violently enough that it threw Gary's pokemon off of it, but the creature just got back up and launched himself back onto his prey. Moh'ra and Aeroth backed his assault.

The absol's owner threw a pyroblast and followed it with a flamestrike, calling all the fury of the element of fire up from the ground. William helped out, forcing Kel'Thuzad to stop casting his spells to avoid the spikes of stone he jabbed randomly at the lich. Kai took another deep breath and let out a blast of dragonfire at the lich.

"Feel the fury of the Blackflight!"

Rapidash and charmeleon added to the inferno, turning the icy room into an oven. Pikachu shocked the lich with all the power he could. Ash continued to generally get in Kel'Thuzad's way, taunting him and constantly attacking. He landed a nasty blow on the lich's skeletal hip. Jessie finished her shadowbolt before darting off the void rift that had opened under her feet.

Kroll called out for healing, which Zeliek provided before returning to blasting his old tormenter with the force of the Light. Across the room, more Light illuminated the battle as Rex destroyed the crypt lord he was fighting. James beheaded the other one.

The third nerubian lord crashed blindly right into the middle of the conflict, nearly running over William as it struggled to get free from the pokemon's bear-trap-like jaws. The shaman darted out of the way.

James and Rex returned to the fight against Kel'Thuzad. Ice swirled around the death knight, just as it had so long ago in Stratholme. He'd come a long way since then, and wasn't about to fail now.

The Blood Knight drove his spear into the ground, consecrating it. Wendy attacked for once, smiting the lich with an ethereal scimitar of Light.

Zin'ja's arrow hit its mark; the nerubian collapsed. "Moh'ra! Aid me, girl! Attack da lich!" The raptor charged with a furious shriek.

"_Enough!_" Kel'Thuzad roared, a ball of blue light forming in his hands. He held it up, and it turned into several frostbolts, each going a different direction and striking a different person or creature with enough force to knock them to the floor. His jaw dropped slightly in shock when he saw that Gary was still standing – the mage had been quick with his frost ward.

"Enough indeed." The fire mage grinned as magic started swirling around him; the lines of arcane fuel combusted suddenly and raging flames swirled around the mage's body. The fire moved up and gathered into large fireballs in his hands as he suddenly unleashed his spell: a pyroblast larger than ever before. It hit Kel'Thuzad with such force that he slammed into the wall behind him. The lich crumpled to the floor in a daze. Gary finished him off with a frostfire bolt.

"_No!_ Do… not… rejoice! Your victory is… a hollow one, for I shall return with powers beyond… your-!"

"Yeah, sure you will."


	60. A Date in Dalaran

Upon being teleported into Runeweaver Square, most of the heroes looked around in awe. The mages, especially, stared in wonder at the city of Dalaran, their eyes glittering with excitement at the tall purple and pale gold buildings. Zaraia immediately wanted to see everything; her lifelong dream had come true at last.

After the initial shock of seeing the elegant city had worn off, Rex suggested that they all split up and take care of personal errands. There was a murmur of agreement, but before anyone could go anywhere, Zaraia let out a gasp.

Standing before them with a perplexed look was a tall blood elf with long brown hair in a ponytail. He was wearing blue robes with elaborate white designs, and plenty of small icicles. He seemed puzzled by the presence of both Horde and Alliance adventurers in the same group – then he saw the blood elf girl and his eyes widened.

"Z-Zaraia?"

"…Vaku!" The elves looked at each other in astonishment. "I… thought you were dead!"

"I could say the same about you," Vaku said.

Zaraia suddenly looked furious. "_Where in the Nether were you! I waited for you, Vaku!_"

"I-"

"I waited in Silvermoon for _months_ before finally setting out to find you, and I couldn't!"

"So _that's_ where you were? You were out looking for me? Zaraia…"

While this intense reunion was playing out, everyone else simply stared in utter confusion. Only Ash, remembering his conversation with Zaraia in Zangarmarsh, had _any_ idea what was going on, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Well, Vaku? _Where were you?_"

"I- there were… I got held up in the Ghostlands – the Scourge… I couldn't get home… I'm sorry, Zaraia, I never intended to…" Vaku looked down, consumed by guilt. "I came back to Silvermoon as soon as I could, but you were nowhere to be found. Nobody knew where you were, just that you had left… You were looking for me…" He laughed, "How ironic – I left to look for you…"

"All this time," Zaraia said, eyes brimming with tears, "All this time, it was just a big misunderstanding?"

Her fellow mage nodded sadly. His expression turned to slight disgust. "And now you mingle with these… _low folk._"

Ash put his hand on one of his sword hilts. Vaku snorted, glaring at him. "Is that a challenge, human? Pathetic."

"It might be," Ash replied.

"Ash, don't!" Zaraia said, a hint of urgency in her voice.

"Fine."

"Ash, is it?" Vaku said, "How fitting; the word for what is left after a fire…"

"Vaku, stop! These humans aren't like the others!"

The frost mage sighed. "Very well…" He looked only at Zaraia, not at the others.

Kroll, observing the racial tension, decided to help the conflict dissipate. "Let us all attend to our personal tasks," the orc said, "and then you can settle whatever dispute this is. We all – _I do mean __**all**_ – have more important things to do right now than banter."

"Right," Zaraia said. She seemed glad to have an excuse to get out of this extremely awkward and confusing situation. It was too much for her; she needed to escape so she could think.

XXX

Everyone had gone their separate ways for the time being. Ash left the bank and glanced over at the great floating statue to his right – the Antonidas Memorial. There, sitting on a bench, was Zaraia. The warrior walked over to her. "Hey, you okay?"

XXX

The paladin looked into the fishtank that Breanni kept in her shop, watching the beautiful and exotic fishes.

"I find your fascination with water somewhat funny," Gary mused.

Misty turned to look at him. "Why's that?"

"Well, sailors say there are three things you should never bring on a ship: priests, redheads, and women." He grinned at the irony.

"Hey, at least I'm a paladin – had I chosen the _other_ path of the Light…"

They both laughed as they left the pet shop. "How are you liking Dalaran?"

"It's beautiful. I'm glad to get a break from all the fighting."

"So am I…" Gary let out a sigh, finally able to relax a bit. "You hungry?"

"A little."

"Let's check out the Ledgerdemain – I'm _sick_ of conjured bread."

The paladin laughed in agreement.

XXX

The warrior didn't look at his elven friend. There was a long, awkward silence before he spoke. "You… You still love Vaku, don't you…?"

"I… don't know…"

Ash hesitated again. "Well, I'm glad we ran into him."

"You are…?"

"… Well… Now you won't have to be alone again, when I go home…"

"What?" Zaraia looked hurt.

Ash sighed. "You knew it would happen, Zaraia. I'm from another world; you know I have to-"

"You said you wouldn't leave me!"

"I-"

The elf stood up, angry. "You promised!" Her voice broke as she started crying. "_You promised!_" She turned and ran away, crying.

The warrior jumped to his feet and reached toward the elf as though to stop her, but it was too late. "Zaraia!"

XXX

"Hey, Gary…"

"Yeah?" The mage looked up at Misty.

"How do you think Zaraia and Ash are handling this Vaku person? Do you think Zara is okay?" the paladin asked.

Gary grinned. "I'm sure she's fine, with-"

A girl ran past the window, sobbing. Misty and Gary looked out in surprise, recognizing the red-haired elf. Misty simply turned back to Gary with a look on her face that said '_I told you so_'.

The mage sighed. "Should we go after her?"

Misty thought for a moment. "No," she said, "We'll only make things more complicated."

"Right…"

Having finished their meal, they were preparing to leave. Gary counted out a few gold and silver coins and handed them to the waitress, and the two adventurers left the building to continue their exploration of Dalaran.

As they continued down the road, pointing out interesting buildings and generally staring around like children in a candy store, the paladin slipped her hand into the mage's. He blushed slightly and smiled at her.

"The sky is beautiful, isn't it?" Misty asked.

"Reminds me of Nagrand," Gary said.

"I won't ever forget what you did for us there."

"I wish _I _could." The mage laughed.

"You're a great person, you know that?"

Gary smirked. "Of course," he replied, with tongue-in-cheek arrogance reminiscent of his old ways. Misty laughed.

"Oh! I just remembered… I have something for you."

"You… do?" The mage blinked in surprise. The paladin pulled something out of the storage plane – a beautifully crafted wand.

"You've had that old one for far too long and it's probably starting to get worn out – I thought I should get you a new one."

"It's…" the mage was at a loss for words. "Thank you…"

"You don't like it?"

"No, I do! I just… I… don't know what to say…" He blushed. Misty, thinking his awkward behavior cute, just laughed. The mage looked away, embarrassed, but also grinned.

They continued their exploration of Dalaran. Gary noticed a flower stand on the streets, and had an idea. "Want to see something cool?"

"Sure?"

The mage bought a rose, then grinned over his shoulder at his paladin friend, eyes glittering impishly. He turned to her and held the flower out to one side. With a gesture of his hand, the flower multiplied into many, each identical to the first, floating in a semi-circle above the mage's outstretched arms. Gary reversed the gesture and the flowers returned to their original form. Moving both hands, he caused it to float in midair, changing colors in flashes of light; yellow, white, blue, then solid, shining gold, and finally back to red. He put his right hand behind his back, then gestured with his left hand. The rose vanished into thin air, and he pulled it out from behind his back and offered it to Misty, smiling. She laughed in delight and took the flower, blushing.

XXX

Ash had given up on chasing the girl – she was far too fast. He stopped just outside the Horde district of Dalaran, only to see a familiar figure; that elf from when he first arrived.

"Vaku," he said.

The elf glared at him, visibly offended. "How _dare_ you address me by my first name, _human?_"

Ash gritted his teeth for a moment. This mage was not going to work with him easily. "At this point, I'm not even going to bother with formalities; I'll just cut straight to the point. You love Zaraia, don't you?"

"You have no right to be asking such questions!" Vaku snapped, in a mixture of fury and jealousy – he could tell where this discussion was going.

"Damn it, elf! If you're so much better than me, _act like it!_ Act like the civilized being you supposedly are, not some arrogant child!"

Vaku looked like he'd been slapped in the face. He gritted his teeth and let out a frustrated sigh. Reluctantly, he listened. "Fine."

"Now. Answer my question. You love Zaraia?"

"Yes. You?"

"Also."

Vaku frowned and had to consciously force himself to keep his composure – a human in love with a blood elf! This was an _outrage!_ "Have you admitted it to her? Does she return the feelings?" The mage clenched his fists.

"No, I haven't. And she seems torn. I'm not here to fight with you, Vaku. I want to negotiate – I only want what's best for her."

Vaku's frown lessened. He nodded. "So what do you suggest we do about this, human?"

"My name is Ash, by the way."

"Ash. Sorry."

"As for what to do… I'm not sure. I do know that I'll have to leave."

"Permanently?" Vaku raised an eyebrow.

Ash hesitated and then hung his head. Sadly, he replied, "… yeah."

"Why?" The elf was suspicious. He didn't particularly like this warrior, but he would tolerate him – he was diplomatic enough to not feel as threatening as most humans; not to mention, he was shorter than the tall mage.

Ash had to start at the beginning with his explanation. As he gave the story of his arrival in Azeroth, meeting Zaraia, and the plan to go home, he and Vaku walked along the streets of Dalaran to relieve the tension from the initially hostile atmosphere. The frost mage's contempt for the warrior slowly dissipated as he learned more, until, upon Ash's conclusion, Vaku acknowledged a newfound respect.

"Forgive me, Ash. I did not realize humans could be so noble."

"It's okay. I understand your hatred for my kind – Zaraia told me her initial dislike of humans was because they killed your family…"

"It's true."

"But… back to the point…" Both boys nodded seriously.

"If what you say is true," Vaku said, "then you only have limited time with Zaraia."

Ash nodded. "I know… And I… didn't break the news to her gently. I tried to, but… I-I said something stupid a while back."

The mage raised his eyebrows, suspicious. "You didn't hurt her, did you?" He knew the answer.

"I didn't mean to… I told her we – my group and I – wouldn't leave her… I didn't mean we wouldn't leave when our business was done, but that we wouldn't just abandon her… I didn't phrase it well…"

"Oh…" Vaku nodded. "She's upset right now?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps I should talk to her then."

"You should," the warrior agreed, shoulders slumped, "I think she's too mad at me right now… I didn't mean to hurt her like that…" He sighed.

The mage nodded again. "But first we have to figure this out."

"I… I think…" Ash took a deep breath – it was a painful decision to make. "… Zaraia… should stop talking to me… We should start distancing ourselves… so it won't hurt as much…"

"Really? I think she should enjoy the time she has left with you – I'm… willing to… stand back for a while. I'll be here for her when you're gone. It's not like you'll be leaving her alone. And if she really cares about you… I don't want to keep her away from you. _Especially_ if I'll be with her in the end, anyway."

XXX

The paladin and mage stopped for a moment to rest. The sun had nearly finished setting. The clouds were lit with gold in the purple sky, and the spires and trees cast long shadows. The air was surprisingly warm, for Northrend; probably due to magic. The two heroes sat down on a bench. A gentle breeze swept through the area, blowing some leaves off a tree. The leaves swirled around the young adventurers like cherry blossoms before settling to the ground.

"You look… uh…" Gary stammered, "You look wonderful tonight. Not that you don't usually! I just-"

Misty laughed. "I know what you mean." She hugged him. "Thanks. You look pretty good, yourself. You know, your eyes look almost dark orange in this lighting?"

"Do they really?"

"They're pretty."

"Uh! Thanks…!" The mage smiled and glanced away, blushing faintly. He looked back up at the paladin – he was reminded of the way she looked in the Grizzly Hills: radiant and pure, blue eyes sparkling, brilliant red hair shining. "Oh! Uh, there's a leaf in your hair…" He reached forward and took it out, gently. He glanced at her eyes and for a moment, he was lost in them. He laughed nervously, grinning at her. She returned the smile and the laughter.

XXX

Vaku found Zaraia at Krasus' Landing. "Hello, Zara."

"Vaku…"

"You know… Ash didn't mean to hurt you…" the frost mage began.

"I know," Zaraia hung her head, "That doesn't make it hurt any less…"

"You knew it would happen – he has to go home and you can't very well go to his world… Not to mention, he's a human-"

"_Don't start ranting about his race._"

"I'm not! Let me finish! I was going to say, it wouldn't work out anyway – he ages _four times_ faster than we do. He'll be an adult in _less than a decade._ Humans only live about… what… seventy, eighty, ninety years?"

"I… I guess you're right."

Vaku took a deep breath and bit his lip. He didn't want to say what he was about to say. "Of course, that doesn't mean that in the short-term…" he trailed off. The frost mage began a new sentence, abandoning the old one, "Anyway, he's… very sorry… He only wants you to be happy. And… You should enjoy the time you have left with him…" Zaraia turned and looked at her fellow mage. "I know how much you care about him. Enjoy it while it lasts… I-I'll be here for you, afterwards…"

"Vaku…"

"I won't vanish this time. I won't give up on looking for you if we get separated again. I'm here for you, but… Ash was here for you when you needed him most."

Zaraia looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

XXX

The stars glittered behind the shining auroras above Northrend. Gary and Misty walked out onto the balcony at the top of the Dalaran Spire, and the sight took their breath away. There, spread out before them was the entire city of mages. To their left was the Horde district, with its pale red domes; to their left, the blue spires of the Alliance section, and everywhere else, the calming lavender that was signature to the city. All throughout, candlelight glittered in every window, lighting every street, accompanied by the omnipresent glow of blue crystals.

"This is… the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen…" the mage whispered, in awe.

"The first being…?"

"You, of course."

The paladin blushed vividly. "Oh, stop…"

"If you insist. But, I was only telling the truth. I-I've never seen anyone so pretty… Not just physically, either… You… you're pure of heart – well, of course you are; you're a paladin."

"Then I guess, mage, I should mention how _enchanting_ you are."

Gary laughed and blushed. He was extremely nervous, but kept talking – if he stopped now, he'd never say it. "Uh, well, it's only my natural response to being so spellbound – I'm sorry, that was stupid. I mean, you're a great person and I, uh, I'm glad I… got to know you… I just-" Things were not going smoothly. He didn't sound anything like he intended to. He'd thought everything out; he'd planned everything he was going to say to her, and as soon as they reached the top of the spire, his mind had gone blank. _Calm down, Gary! Now's not a good time to panic! Don't screw up now!_

He stopped and took a deep breath. "I… What- What I'm trying to say is… I-I love you!"

Misty stood there in shock for a moment, not looking at the mage. She hadn't expected him to simply stop mid-sentence and just blurt out a confession of his feelings! As soon as her brain started working again, she stammered out a reply. "I-I love you too, Gary…"

"You- really?"

She was grinning and blushing uncontrollably. They weren't looking at each other; they were too embarrassed. "Yes."

"I… um… I guess… that makes this… a date?"

"I suppose it… it does…"

They just stood there, hands on the rail in front of them, looking away from one another, in a mixed state of shock and bliss. After a moment, Misty put her hand on Gary's. They looked up – they made eye contact.

And that was all it took. In an instant, they were in each other's arms, sharing their first kiss.


	61. The Argent Tournament

The start of a new day. The heroes slowly gathered as they woke up, ate their breakfast, and generally became more active. Soon, everyone was ready to continue the adventure.

"Do you think we're ready to tackle Icecrown?" Misty asked.

"Nearly. We need to train a bit more, I think," James replied.

"We could always go find the rest of the Knights of the Silver Hand…" Zeliek suggested, hopefully. He wanted very much to see his old friends, if any still lived.

"Apparently you never got the memo," Gary said, "The Silver Hand doesn't exist anymore."

"What?"

"It merged with the Argent Dawn to form the Argent Crusade," James told his fellow death knight. Sir Zeliek sighed in relief and then grinned broadly. "In fact, I believe they've got a tournament camp in Icecrown at the moment. We could train there."

The undead paladin was obviously trying very hard to contain his excitement, his purple eyes glimmering with anticipation.

"First things first," Ash said. "If we're heading to Icecrown, and we're ready to fight the Scourge, let's try to get as many allies as we can – when the final battle comes, we'll need all the forces we can get."

"There are portals here," Gary said, "so let's just decide who's going to speak with what leaders, and head on out. We can all find mages to teleport us back here after we're done."

"I'll speak with the paladins of Stormwind, and King Varian," Misty offered.

"In that case," Zeliek said, "I'll go to… Exa- Exodar? Is that how you pronounce it?"

"How do you even know about the Exodar?" Starwisp asked, "The draenei landed long after your death and I doubt Tarani said anything about it…"

"You were… not the first adventurers to assault Naxxramas – many good paladins died there, several of whom were draenei," the white-armored death knight said remorsefully.

"Ah…"

"I see Tarani did not taint your view of her kind," James said.

"Absolutely not – she was not the first draenei I saw, and the rest seem wholly Light-guided people."

"Then, Sir Zeliek, you will go to the Exodar. Don't get lost; the floorplan is ridiculously convoluted," the huntress said, "I think it should be clear where I am going. Zaraia as well."

Gary nodded, "So Darnassus and Silvermoon. If Silvermoon is already taken care of, I guess I'll go talk to Jaina Proudmoore in Theramore – I'm sure she'll support our cause."

"I will meet with the Knights of the Ebon Blade," James said, "It should not be hard to rally their support."

"I'll see what I can do to gather the Blackflight of Outland," Kai offered, "maybe even some Nether Drakes; we'll see. The black dragons owe you guys, especially Gary. I'm sure they'll be more than willing to repay the favor."

"I'll go to the Undercity – they have a fondness for warlocks and other users of the shadow, and I'm certain Sylvanas and her undead will be in full support of our cause," Jessie offered.

Ash was the only one who hadn't volunteered yet – he really didn't have a faction. "I'll… go to Orgrimmar I guess. I'll see if I can talk Thrall into helping us."

XXX

The paladin on her noble charger galloped out from the Mage District of Stormwind City, into which she had been dropped by the portal in Dalaran. She crossed the bridge over the canal into the Trade District. A peasant woman darted to the side to avoid the horse, and Misty stopped for a moment to ask if she was alright.

"I'm fine," the woman said, "just startled to see a paladin on a warhorse in such a hurry through the middle of the street!"

The girl nodded and continued on at half the speed she had been traveling at. People still stared a bit at the mounted hero riding along the middle of the road at a quick pace, but at least she didn't come close to running anyone over again. She entered Cathedral Square and dismissed her horse. The sight of the Cathedral of Light still awed her, even after all this time.

The paladins and priests greeted her warmly. "I need to speak with all of you," she said. The others glanced at each other in slight confusion, but went off to gather the rest of the servants of the Light in the building. "The time is nearly here to strike at Arthas where he stands – in Icecrown. As you may or may not have heard, Naxxramas has fallen to my friends and me, and the others are rallying the support of various other factions as we speak…"

XXX

"Jaina! We need your help!"

"Gary? What are you doing here? Where are your friends?"

"They're scattered around Azeroth, gathering support from other factions. We're gathering an army to attack Icecrown."

Jaina's jaw dropped slightly. "Gathering an army? You just up and decided you were going to get an army together?"

Gary looked at her, perfectly serious. "Yeah, pretty much. You in?"

XXX

Kai stood on a rock, leaning over the edge, using his wings to help keep himself steady on the spiky stones of his homeland. There was a small group of dragons gathered below him. "I bring word from Champion Gary and his friends! They helped us gain our freedom; now it's our turn to help them! This is the Blackflight's chance to prove to the world – Outland _and_ Azeroth – that at least some of us are ready to rejoin the ranks of the revered dragonflights. The humans who helped us are going up against their own oppressors. They rally an army to strike at the head of the Scourge in Icecrown at this very moment. It's time we showed the mortal races what we're _really_ capable of!"

XXX

Ash felt awkward in Orgrimmar – orcs stared at him; many of them were hostile. A handful, however, recognized him from descriptions they'd heard of the destroyers of Naxxramas. Luckily, he ran into Kroll, who helped protect him from less respectful orcs. The two of them had to argue their way into the Warchief's room, with Kroll threatening a guard with his sword at one point and at least two indignant exclamations of "Don't you know who we are?" before they finally reached Thrall. He recognized them.

The orc stood up. "Has Jaina sent you?" It was the only reason he could think of for the human boy to return.

Ash shook his head. "No, but Gary is speaking with her now. Warchief Thrall, I've come to request the aid of the orcs of the Horde in the upcoming attack on Icecrown."

"Attack on Icecrown? Why have I not heard of this?"

"Because this is the first we've mentioned of it. We decided to take matters into our own hands – we're getting an army together, all across Azeroth – and Outland, too; the black dragons will – hopefully – help us."

Thrall's facial expression changed many times – shock, confusion, incredulity, amazement, exhaustion, confusion again, amusement, and finally reverence. "Your audacity is inspiring. True warrior spirit. That you would simply decide to raise an army through no authority but the weight of your reputation as a hero, and approach your leaders with such bold requests…" The Warchief began to laugh. "I could not say no if I tried! The Horde will back you."

XXX

Zeliek's horse had to do all of the watching where it was going on its own. Its rider was too busy staring around with a baffled expression. The paladin had not been expecting anything like this – it was completely beyond his wildest imaginings. Lights and wires everywhere, transparent ramps, and more crystals than one could shake a stick at. It was a wonderful place, indeed, but it did not take Sir Zeliek long to get completely lost. As Starwisp had warned him, the Exodar was endlessly confusing and hard to navigate, especially for a newcomer. It took the poor paladin at least three rounds before realizing he was going in a very complicated circle. He finally gave up and decided to ask for directions.

Now paying attention to the people, he realized they were staring at him – and rightfully so. Here was an undead human in paladin's armor, wearing metal wings on his head, on a skeletal warhorse, wandering in circles through a city that most non-draenei avoided like the plague! It was certainly not something one saw every day!

Sir Zeliek spotted a draenei man who appeared to be a paladin. He rode over. "Excuse me, sir. A moment of your time?"

The draenei looked him over once, twice, three times before replying. "…Certainly…?"

Ignoring the awkward circumstances, Zeliek dismounted and sent the horse away. "I am here to speak to your leader; I bring a message from the heroes who raided Naxxramas… Unfortunately, I'm quite hopelessly lost. Could you direct me there?"

In his thick accent, the draenei paladin answered. "I could show you the way; most Azerotheans get lost even with directions."

"Many thanks…"

The draenei man led Zeliek – still staring around this unfamiliar world like a confused child – to Velen. The undead paladin thanked his guide and approached the Prophet of the Naaru. He knelt before him; he could _sense_ the Light in this being: it radiated like the warmth of the sun from him.

"I know why you come, Knight of the Silver Hand…"

XXX

"Ah… We're home at last, Aeroth."

The bird on Starwisp's shoulder hooted contentedly. The portal had dropped them right outside the Temple of the Moon. The huntress entered and respectfully put her hands over her heart while gazing up at the statue of Elune. "Goddess, help me," she whispered, "You, of all beings, know I need it."

She ascended to the second floor. "High Priestess…" She gave a night elf salute, and then bowed her head.

"What do you seek, huntress?" Tyrande asked, ready to dispense the usual: life advice, religious reassurance, emotional comfort. She was not prepared for the request she was about to hear.

Starwisp lifted her head. "I seek your permission to rally the night elves for war against the Scourge."

XXX

The Forsaken glared at Jessie as she was portaled into Undercity. Living humans were not welcome there. Even so, the fact that she was a warlock helped more than she realized. Had she been a priestess or warrior, she would have been attacked on sight, but her dark nature made her a little more welcome in the ruins of Lordaeron. She was, in some ways, one of them; a walker of the shadow, an outcast. She approached the first being she saw.

"Where is Lady Sylvanas? I have an urgent message for her."

"The Dark Lady does not have the time to deal with the _living,_" the mage growled at the warlock, "I do not know how you teleported into the city of the dead, but you had best return to wherever you came from."

Jessie glared back at the man. "Answer me, or I will curse you with a fate worse than undeath! This message is in the best interest of the Dark Lady, the Forsaken, and all of Azeroth!"

Begrudgingly, the man guided the warlock to Sylvanas' chamber.

"Why have you come here?" the elf asked, aggressively. After a moment, the hostile attitude vanished. "Wait… I remember you… You helped to reclaim the Undercity, did you not?"

"I did. Dark Lady, I am here to ask – no, _inform_ you. My friends are gathering the forces of Azeroth to attack Icecrown. I don't believe I need to _ask_ you to support us; merely to let you know of the attack."

"You're smart, warlock. It would have indeed been insulting had you _asked me_ whether I would aid you against the Lich King. Thank you for the news; I will take it into account and ready the Forsaken."

XXX

James arrived in the Ebon Hold. A thousand memories rushed back to him, but he shook his head with a faint grunt and continued into the citadel. It was a twisted feeling that ran through his heart; a mixture of contented love and fearful hate. The citadel was a home to James, but it was a home he'd rather not have.

The death knight sought out Darion Mograine. If there was one man in the world interested in taking part in the attack, it was him. The Knights of the Ebon Blade were ready to strike whenever the opportunity presented itself to them – that time had come.

"Highlord Mograine!" James called out, approaching his superior.

"James. I have not seen your face in quite some time."

"I have been busy. I come now to inform you that my friends and I are trying to form an army to attack Icecrown."

Darion leaned forward slightly, suddenly very interested in the news James had brought him. "How large of an army?"

"I don't know, yet. Assuming all my friends are successful, we shall have most of the Alliance, most of the Horde, the black dragons of Outland, the Argent Crusade, and of course, the Knights of the Ebon Blade."

Though eager, the Highlord kept himself under control. "Under whose authority is this army being gathered?"

James opened his mouth, then shut it. He gulped, feeling awkward and embarrassed. "N-no one's, Sir. My group is… using their reputations to try to rally the people of Azeroth. We're acting on our own, not under orders."

Darion was skeptical. "How do you know the others will be successful?"

"I… don't. It can be assumed that the Forsaken will at least be with us. For the others… I… I must trust my allies."

The Highlord was silent for a long time. The other death knight was tormented by every moment. _Please say yes. Please say you'll help us…_Darion suddenly nodded. "I'll have faith in your companions. Assuming they are successful, there will be an army in Icecrown – it would be an embarrassment if the Knights of Acherus were not a part of it."

XXX

Zaraia teleported back to her home city. She didn't have to go far, as the man she was to speak with was in the Sunfury Spire, the building the young mage had been dropped into. She walked in on a meeting between the leader of the blood mages, the captain of the farstriders, and Lor'themar Theron himself. The three elves continued to discuss something the girl didn't understand while she simply stood silently to the side, waiting. After a while, Lor'themar noticed her staring at him and turned, looking at her with his one green eye – his other eye, completely white, saw nothing.

"Is this urgent, child?"

"It is." Lor'themar glanced over at the other two elves, nodded at them once, and told Zaraia to continue. "My friends are gathering forces to raid Icecrown Citadel – it's time we destroyed their home, just as they destroyed ours…"

XXX

Having been successful in their missions, the heroes slowly regrouped in Dalaran. Each of them confirmed that they had been able to rally support. Now all that was left was to train and wait for their reinforcements. They had formed an entire army, on their own, in less than a day, with no authority but that granted by the weight of their names.

Once on the ground below Dalaran, they summoned their mounts and were off once more. It was a long and dangerous ride, through the snow covered mountains that formed a border between Icecrown and the Storm Peaks, to avoid the Scourge armies in the main area of the glacier. The air was thin and cold. A blizzard formed on the way up, blocking the heroes' vision in a sheet of white. They could not communicate, as the snowstorm ripped the words from their mouths, the only sounds they could hear being the wailing and howling of the wind and the violent snapping of capes. The animals struggled against the bitter storm, fighting their way higher and higher into the mountains, occasionally sliding when the snow gave way beneath their claws or hooves.

The blizzard eventually weakened into a heavy snowfall as the wind died down. The animals plodded onward, climbing like mountain goats, their masters patting and encouraging them. Even for the steeds, walking was a difficult task in the deep snow, and there was the constant danger of avalanches, or more mundanely, of slicing their limbs apart on rocks hidden under the snow. Zaraia's hawkstrider, as a biped, was having a particularly difficult time. The girl secretly worried she'd be left behind, but James and Ash rode behind her to make sure she would not be lost in the mountains.

"Oh god," Gary said, his horse suddenly stopping. Zeliek, Misty, and Starwisp rode up behind him.

"By the Light…" the undead paladin muttered.

There, ahead, was a wide chasm, a sheer drop to certain death.

The mage looked around. A ledge! He turned his horse around and guided it up the narrow ramp of stone. Then, he cast a slow fall spell, and snapped the reins. "Ya!" The stallion took a couple steps back, then galloped toward the edge of the stone ramp, and leapt into the air. It seemed to soar over the ravine, landing safely on the other side.

He turned and cast the spell on his friends. One by one, they joined him.

XXX

The heroes were nearly at their destination. They rode along the narrow ridge overlooking Sindragosa's Fall. The ground crumbled a little bit. Ash nearly fell off the cliff when his horse slipped on loose snow. After a tense crossing, the heroes found themselves on a stable platform, and rode around a rock. There, below them, was the Argent Tournament, in all its glory. From there, it was just a descent into the sanctuary.

The heroes were all too eager to get out of the mountains. They rode at a quick pace into the Argent grounds. Crusaders looked up at them, surprised to see such a large group of adventurers arriving through the mountains.

Zeliek suddenly urged his horse into a gallop as a group of Crusaders – former Knights of the Silver Hand – saw him and hurried toward the horse. They met a few yards away from where the paladins had previously been standing.

"Zeliek, is that you, brother!"

"It's got to be! What other paladins do you know with purple eyes? Zeliek, friend, where have you been? They said the Scourge got ya, but I never believed 'em, not for a second! But-"

"You're undead! So it's true? They had you in Naxxramas? How'd you escape? Is Kel'Thuzad dead? Has Naxxramas fallen?"

"I didn't think I'd ever see your face again, Zeliek!"

"My fellow Knights! I never thought I'd see you again!" the undead paladin practically sobbed.

"How'd you get free? I never would have thought the Scourge could break you!"

"They did not – they merely controlled me. I have these young heroes to thank for my freedom." Zeliek gestured to the rest of the group, dismounting and sending his horse away. The adventurers also dismissed their steeds, joining the undead paladin with his old friends.

"Goodness," the woman among the Crusaders said, "They must be much stronger than they look."

"Indeed! They, along with seven others who are regrettably not here, cleared Naxxramas of the Scourge forces entirely," Sir Zeliek said.

"Well done!" one Argent Crusader said, clapping quietly for the heroes.

"I'll be back; I'm going to fetch Tirion. He must meet these young heroes," the third knight said, summoning a horse and rushing off to find his leader.

The group of knights and the heroes began to talk, updating each other – the heroes telling of the fall of Naxxramas and the coming army, and the Argents filling Zeliek in on everything important that had happened while he was stuck in the citadel.

At last, Fordring arrived. He seemed quite happy to see the young adventurers; he knew who they were. The heroes saluted him respectfully.

"Tirion! I've never been so glad to see you!"

"I am… pleasantly surprised to see you again, too, Zeliek. I take it Naxxramas has fallen?"

"Yeah. We decided to wreck the place on the way here," Gary said.

"And grab an army, too," Ash added.

"An army?" the old paladin asked, slightly worried.

"Yes," James said, with a hint of disdain and aggression in his voice, "We decided to do something _useful_ while you Crusaders were up here playing games."

"These are not mere games, death knight! If every fighting man and woman goes into Icecrown, many will die; this is a war in which that cannot happen! For every ally that falls, we gain an enemy in their form! That is why we have this tournament – it may look like fun and games, but it is a way to select the greatest and weed out those who would only bolster the Scourge forces." James looked embarrassed. He should have known. Tirion continued, calmly, "Now, how big is this army you've gathered?"

"Nearly all the Horde and Alliance, the Knights of the Ebon Blade, and the Black Dragonflight of Outland."

Worrisome as this was, Tirion looked impressed.

"Tirion," Sir Zeliek pointed out, "this gives us a greater selection. This way we can be certain we have _all_ of Azeroth's best. If we can't win now- Well, with the Light's blessing, we _will_ win! With these heroes leading us, I am certain of it!"

Tirion Fordring nodded. "I am sure you are right, old friend." He smiled at the heroes. "Adventurers, the Argent Crusade welcomes you. Though these competitions have a purpose, it doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy them. Let the games begin."


	62. Rivalry

Misty faltered for a moment, and Zeliek was quick to take advantage of this. The younger paladin barely dodged the attack and blocked the older paladin's wooden sword with her own, then caught his wrist with her shield, forcing it down hard enough that he stumbled forward a step, while lifting his sword with hers to force him into a triangle lock. Having gained the control of the match in a very unfamiliar way, she stopped, unsure what to do with it.

"Hilt," Sir Zeliek reminded her.

"Oh, yes." She turned the sword so her crossguards ran parallel to his blade, preventing him from attacking her side, but giving her the ability to lunge safely along his sword. She touched his chest with the tip of the sword and backed away.

"Very good. On guard."

The two paladins circled again, until Misty decided to attack. Her teacher effortlessly blocked the blow and stepped to the side, completely reversing the angle of attack, suddenly giving him the upper hand. Misty retreated a step; Sir Zeliek lunged and the girl was barely fast enough to block the attack with her shield and take another step backwards. Then, Misty tried the attack again, switching her direction of attack halfway through to throw the undead paladin off. Zeliek, only mildly startled, lifted the hilt of his sword while leaving the tip in place, creating an invisible barrier of potential parries between himself and his attacker, and again stepped around Misty's sword, rotating his own weapon around the center to keep the barrier up while returning to his original grip. She suddenly brought her shield up to defend her upper body while slashing at Zeliek's side with the practice sword.

She'd caught him off guard; though his movements were as smooth and confident as ever – the mark of a master swordsman – the look on his face showed his surprise. He whipped his sword down to block hers, then caught it with the same hilt trick as she had used on him before. Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her forward – not too hard – straight onto his practice sword.

"Now, what did you do wrong there?" Sir Zeliek asked, letting go of the girl's wrist and stepping back. She thought for a moment.

"I attacked with no regard to the placement of your weapon…?"

XXX

"I'm surprised you can even pick that lance up, Gary," the warrior said, snickering.

"It's a mage's lance. It's not as heavy as your stupid ten-ton weaponry."

"Exactly. Light though it may be, I'm surprised you can pick it up."

Gary just glared at the other boy. "Shut up, Ash."

"Well I'm just saying! You _are_ a wimp. It comes with being a mage…" The warrior grinned tauntingly.

"This coming from a boy riding a unicorn."

"Hey!" Ash pointed out angrily, "_You_ are also riding a unicorn, if you didn't notice."

"Save the banter for later, boys," Jeran told them, "Right now what matters is that you learn mounted combat."

"So basically I get to smack Gary around with a stick? I've always wanted to do that."

Jeran laughed. "Not yet. You'll get to smack him with your lance later. For now, I have targets for you two to attack."

"I don't get it," Gary said, "Why am I learning mounted combat? I'm a mage."

"I've been told you've shown natural skill at flying a gryphon. Fighting from atop a gryphon isn't that different from fighting on a horse."

"So why am I learning to use a lance? Shouldn't I just use spells?"

Lockwood seemed slightly impatient, but understanding nonetheless. "We'll get there! Don't get ahead of yourself, aspirant. It's important that you know the basics of mounted fighting before you start applying personal skills to it. That's why your warrior friend here is using a lance rather than a sword.

Now, approach the target and strike it sharply. The force of the blow often spins the target hard enough to injure you or your mount. This is where the defense spell I taught both of you comes into play. Be certain to have at least one defense spell before attacking the target and continue to add to and refresh your defense throughout the training exercise; otherwise, you may well find yourself dismounted. The same holds true in actual mounted combat: balance attack and defense."

XXX

"Alright, now, listen up," the blood elf said, pacing back and forth in front of his new students, "Here's how this is going to work. I'm going to toss these snowballs into the air. You, night elf, are going to try to shoot them – and try to shoot _away_ from the buildings, if you can – I don't want to retrieve lost projectiles from the coliseum walls."

Starwisp gritted her teeth. She didn't like taking orders from this Valis Windchaser guy, but he was her superior and a member of an organization that she really didn't want to get a bad reputation with.

"You, blood elf, are going to try to hit them with a spell of your choice – preferably an ice lance, arcane bolt, or some other quickly cast projectile spell. Refrain from using fire blasts or other non-aiming spells, please."

Zaraia nodded. She glared sideways at Starwisp. There went her plans for beating her rival through not actually having to aim.

"You, dragon, are going to fly and try to snag and/or destroy the snowballs in the air: claws, teeth, fire breath, I don't care how. Just practice controlled aerial attacks. You'll need them against the frost wyrms of the Scourge. Elves, please, _please_ be careful not to hit him. This is a mildly competitive training game, not a bloodsport."

Kai tapped his tail against the ground as he sat and nodded at Valis.

"Ready?" the elf asked. The dragon took off. "And, here we go!" Valis tossed a snowball into the air. Starwisp took aim; Zaraia started casting; Kai dove.

The snowball shattered right in front of Kai's face as an arrow whizzed by, landing in a snowbank nearby. Starwisp moved to go retrieve it.

"No," Valis told her, "You can get your arrows when either you run out or we stop training." He tossed another snowball. The night elf took aim again, but she was too slow. Kai dove and missed, pulling up in time to avoid smashing into the ground – a fraction of a second later, the snowball, not yet at the top of its arc, blew apart in an array of arcane colors.

The third snowball went to Starwisp again, and the fourth found its end in Kai's bear-trap-like jaws. This went on – Starwisp, Kai, Kai, Zaraia, Starwisp, Zaraia, Kai, Zaraia…

XXX

James' lance slammed into the target and nearly broke it.

"No need to attack so violently, death knight," Jeran said, "Save that for the Scourge. Be a little gentler here; we don't want you to break the targets – or your friends, for that matter! Now, warlock, it's your turn."

"Why am I learning this?" Jessie asked, charging the target anyway. She missed initially, but hit the target on her second try.

"Funny. Your mage friend asked the same earlier – like him, I've been told you're a natural aerial fighter. But an innate _gift _doesn't translate to true _skill_ without training."

Jessie's unicorn had come to a stop. "Take another run," Meowth said, pulling an arrow from his quiver, "I wanna try to hit that archery target behind the melee target."

The warlock did as she was asked and – despite the way the unicorn's flank shook as it ran, the pokemon managed to stay on top and fire his arrow. He got a near-bullseye.

"Not bad!" Jeran said, "Not bad at all!"

XXX

Gary was casting spells so powerfully, so quickly, that it was wearing him out physically. It was possibly the most intense training he'd ever had. He'd prove her wrong!

The elf in charge of helping to guide him had said, "Fire, is it? You should switch to ice. It's generally better." She hadn't meant to anger him, but something about the way she said it cut past all the layers of confidence and embedded itself deep within his heart, wounding his ego.

Yes, he'd prove her wrong! He'd _prove_ to her, to the world, that fire was just as good as, if not better than, any other form of magic! And so he was refining his technique. He'd never realized how physically draining spellcasting could be, either. There was a lot of motion involved, and at high speed and intensity, it was a genuine workout.

Gary was consumed by his focus – he drowned out the world, he drowned out his thoughts. Only his target and the rhythm of his spells existed. A bomb spell, several quick spells, and the occasional pyroblast if his other magery triggered that _feeling._ That wonderful, wonderful feeling; there was nothing like it – it wasn't so much pleasant in itself as joyful for its meaning. Somehow, he could sense when he would be able to cast a pyroblast nearly instantly, and he didn't understand why. All he knew was that if he cast certain spells quickly, he'd be able to unleash his most powerful magic in a very short amount of time.

The warrior leaned on the next target over, watching the mage with mild amusement, wondering how long it would take Gary to notice he was there. After a while, he commented, "Don't wear yourself out too much, mage. Actually, on second thought, go ahead. It'll be easier to beat you that way."

Gary fuzzily noticed his presence and turned to look at Ash, as though coming out of a trance. "Huh…?"

"Wow. You were really into that."

"Yes, yes I was. Why did you break my concentration, praytell?" Gary glared at him.

"For my own amusement, mostly," Ash answered, smirking, "Seriously, though. Don't work yourself to death. A dead mage puts out no spells. Take a break once in a while."

"Why aren't _you_ training?" the mage asked, leaning on his staff slightly.

"Like I said, you need to take a break once in a while. I _have_ been training – it's just that you have no idea how much time has passed."

"I've only been at it for an hour or two."

"I think it's been more like…four? Five?"

"Seriously?" The mage was shocked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna call it a night. See you tomorrow."

XXX

Zeliek lowered the lance and demonstrated how to properly charge a target. The skeletal horse then turned and walked to the side at its master's silent order through the reins.

"Your turn, young paladin. Try to aim the same way I did, so that your arm doesn't take too much shock, but the lance is still far enough to the side that you can hit your target without running into it – I doubt your mount would like that." He grinned.

Misty brought her mount out to the beginning position, then spent a few minutes trying to line up her lance in the ideal manner. Finally, she charged and hit her target dead-on. The training dummy came around and smacked her in the side as she passed, nearly knocking her off the unicorn.

"Remember the defense spells!"

Misty winced. "I will, _now_…" She turned the unicorn around to try again. Casting her defensive spell, the paladin charged again, a little faster. Even so, when the dummy hit her, the blow was softened.

"Good, very good."

"Did you make this many mistakes early on?"

"By the Light, yes! We all do! You have to work for greatness – but having innate skill and a good teacher certainly helps. And I do hope I'm a good teacher," Sir Zeliek said.

The younger paladin laughed. "You are, don't worry!"

XXX

James practiced his runeblade skills on the training dummy. As always, he moved with surprising grace and agility, moving both his body and the blade in a smooth, controlled manner, as the icy winds of his frost spells howled around him.

Nearby, the warlock, having gotten ideas from Gary, was playing with her own arsenal, changing her spellcasting order, choosing new combinations of curses and attacks, and generally experimenting.

Meowth worked on his swordsmanship, though without a training dummy small enough. He worked, mostly, on smoothing his motions and applying what he saw in James' and Ash's use of the blade.

XXX

The young mage and warrior had both moved on to more respectable mounts and were now allowed to fight other valiants. Naturally, the first thing they wanted to do was fight one another, and so they did.

The horses pawed the ground, snorting. Their riders lowered their lances. The signal was given, and they were off! Gary took a nasty hit to the chest, but it was softened by the defense spells he'd cleverly applied before the match. Ash hadn't had such forethought, and had left his defense down. This came back to bite him, as when he had passed the mage, leaving him relatively unharmed, it was Gary's turn to charge.

The horse thundered toward its opponent, and Ash was nearly thrown off his mount by the powerful impact, despite its coming from a mage's lance. He then rushed to put up several defense spells, but by that time, Gary had already closed the distance and was subjecting him to an unrelenting barrage of weaker strikes.

The warrior tried to retreat to gain enough distance to charge, but the mage wouldn't let him! He kept no more than three feet away at all times, not once letting his old rival escape the constant battery of attacks. Ash's horse reared up and nearly threw its rider, but then turned around as the warrior began to fight back. Hah! He was winning now; the mage was backing away!

Gary had no intention of retreating, he was merely leading his opponent to where he wanted him. He renewed his defense spells. As he had predicted, the 'retreat' had given Ash the courage to try to gain distance for a charge. Gary snapped the reins and his horse charged while Ash's was still trying to turn around. The lance slammed into Ash's side, throwing him off the horse. He landed on the ground with a thud, knocking the air out of his lungs. His horse then wandered off. Gary dismounted and grinned madly.

Ash looked very embarrassed. He, a warrior, had just lost to a mage. Granted, jousting removed nearly all the normal barriers, but the notion that warrior beats mage was so deeply ingrained in Ash's subconscious that the loss still hurt his dignity.

"I-I call for a rematch! On foot!"

Gary knew then that he was doomed, but decided to humor Ash. "Let's go get Misty so she can make sure we – you know, _don't kill each other_."

XXX

"Okay," Misty said, "Rules are as follows: hurt each other as much as you want, and don't let the possibility of injuring each other hold you back. As long as you don't kill one another, I can heal you. Obviously, for that reason, no head-attacks, and no attacks aimed at the heart. No feigning surrender, either. When you surrender, you make it clear, and you mean it."

"Ready?" Gary asked.

"Hell yes," the warrior answered.

"Go!" Misty said.

Ash attacked first; Gary barely escaped the attack. He polymorphed his old rival and began casting a pyroblast. Yes, the attack would break the morph, but it would still give him time to cast the powerful spell. The fireball hit; the sheep turned back into a human. Immediately, the mage put a living bomb spell in place.

Ash lunged again; Gary blinked away, turned, and cast a frostbolt. The ice spell slowed the warrior's movements, even as he tried to chase the mage. The spellcaster backed away as he cast fire blasts, arcane explosions, and other quick spells. Ash was utterly humiliated – he was losing to a mage, _again!_

He had no idea that Gary was panicking. He was using every single spell he could think of to keep the warrior away from him long enough to beat him into surrendering. He cast a frost nova to lock Ash in place while he cast another pyroblast, then more quick spells. The mage was truly desperate now; he was out of spells, and the warrior would quickly reach him. Once that happened, it would all be over.

Ash attacked yet again, frustrated by his inability to even _hit_ his rival. He winced in pain as the bomb spell went off. Gary put another one on him immediately, and in a last-ditch effort to win, froze himself in a block of ice. Ash hacked at it uselessly for a while. The bomb went off again, the ice shattered. Gary was helpless. He put up a mana shield, but knew it wouldn't last him long enough, now that his mana was being drained by Ash's constant attacks.

The warrior was in a frenzy of frustration now, attacking again and again – he simply _could not hit the mage!_ Gary continued to batter him with fire spells, but he could tell by the decreasing strength that the mage was nearly out of mana. The bubble popped. Gary cast one last fire blast. Ash lunged violently before the mage had a chance to reach for his wand. Gary parried both swords with his staff. It was no longer about beating Ash, it was now about protecting himself.

Unfortunately for him, Ash had two independent weapons, while Gary had only one. He couldn't block all the blows at once. A sword to the gut; a blade to the side, another stab wound in the shoulder. Gary had started out strong but it was not enough; his plan, his duel, was crumbling around him in a world of pain.

Ash ripped the staff out of his hands with a sharp slash to the wrist. Gary cried out and dropped the weapon. The warrior slammed his swords into the mage's side, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Gary scrambled to try to get to his feet, but was beaten down again by a powerful attack to the shoulder. One blow, then another, and another.

Gary didn't even try to get up anymore. He was crumpled on the crimson-stained ground in a broken, bleeding heap. He put up one trembling hand in a gesture for his opponent to stop the merciless beating. "I yield, _I yield!_"

Ash stepped back, sheathing his swords, satisfied. His dignity had been restored. He was mildly disturbed by his own _brutality_ toward Gary, but he didn't worry about it, since the mage would be perfectly okay. Misty rushed over to the fallen mage and healed him. She helped him to his feet. He was still shaking and weak from the duel.

"We'll call it a draw," Ash said.

"S-sounds good…"


	63. The Trial Begins

Arelas Brightstar stood in the middle of the coliseum, gesturing for silence from the crowd.

"The Silver Covenant is pleased to present their contenders for this event, Highlord."

The audience held their breath in anticipation as the gates swung open.

"Words can scarcely describe the deeds this mage has performed on the battlefield; we are proud to present… Gary Oak!"

On cue, the mage rode into the coliseum, on an argent warhorse, wielding his lance confidently. He rode in circle around the arena, waving to the people, his noble mount prancing proudly, basking in the applause.

Arelas pointed toward the open gate again. "One of the finest paladins we have seen in action! We present to you… Misty Waterflower!"

As the crowd cheered, the paladin rode in on another warhorse, looking majestic and powerful.

Tirion, among the spectators, smiled at Zeliek, who was seated next to him. "You're proud, aren't you?"

"I… must say I am. She is… somewhat like a daughter to me. I hope she remembers her training."

Arelas continued the introductions. "Among the fiercest warriors on the field of battle… Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd roared with applause and cheering as the warrior rode confidently into the arena. He certainly felt proud to be there.

"A cunning warlock, a proud woman; we are pleased to present Jessie Wilkes to you!"

Jessie rode into the arena, somewhat unsure how to feel about the entire thing. It was the first time people had been _cheering_ for _her_; she was used to being a criminal, not a hero.

"If you do not yet know his name, we are certain you will remember it after today's battles! Ladies and gentlemen… James Morgan!"

The death knight rode in, carrying a very serious aura about him. There was no prancing around the arena for the joy of the crowd. He waved at them, yes, but without the enthusiastic grin the younger heroes had shown.

Tirion stood and silenced the crowd. "Welcome, champions! Today, before the eyes of your leaders and peers, you will prove yourselves worthy combatants."

"I have no taste for these games, Tirion," King Wrynn said, "Still… I trust they will perform admirably."

"Of course they will," Jaina answered.

Garrosh Hellscream, without any manner of tact whatsoever, stood up and barked across the arena, "_Admirably? _Hah! I will enjoy watching your weak little champions fail, human!"

"Garrosh!" Thrall scolded, "Enough!"

"You will first be facing five of the Grand Champions of the tournament!" Tirion announced, "These fierce contenders have beaten out all others to reach the pinnacle of skill in the joust."

Arelas took over. "Tall in the saddle of his horse, here is the venerable Rocman Spiritwalker, champion of Thunder Bluff!"

The familiar old tauren with all his medals rode in on a horse, like the ones the Alliance heroes had, only his was _much _larger, to support the weight of the tauren. He waved at the cheering crowd.

"Entering the arena… the lean and dangerous Zul'tore of Sen'jin!"

The troll rode another argent warhorse in, as his fellows began to chant for him, nearly drowning out the cheering of the other Horde races. He grinned confidently.

"Presenting the fierce Grand Champion of Orgrimmar… Mokra the Skullcrusher!"

The next horse galloped in, with the fierce orc on its back waving his fist at the crowd as though in an early gesture of triumph. "Lok'tar!"

"This woman has fought tooth and nail to climb to the top ranks in record time; representing the Undercity, we bring you… Lorien Shadowgrave!"

In more a hurried walk than a trot, the next horse went straight to its position, with the familiar undead rogue on its back, her lower face masked by the thick folds of her cloak. The Forsaken cheered for her loudly. James looked slightly shocked. "Lorien?"

"Hello again," the rogue replied, waving at her opponents.

Arelas announced the final combatant. "A noble and heroic death knight, he's done everything in his power to aid the Argent Crusade… We're proud to present to you, the one, the only… Anando Pentalon!"

"_Pentalon?_" Ash nearly fell off his horse.

As the high elf with long, blond hair rode into the arena, Zaraia, among the spectators, shot to her feet and leaned out on the rail. "_Papa!_"

Anando rode with a paladin-like dignity, waving to the crowd, a smile on his face. He _did_ look vaguely like an elven version of James, as Zaraia had mentioned long ago, especially since both had the gaunt cheeks common to death knights, as well as the fiery blue eyes, and their armor was similar – of course, they had both once been death knights of the Scourge – though Anando wore an Argent Crusade tabard over his.

The Horde champions lowered their lances. The newcomers, taking their cue, did the same. Arelas retreated to the edge of the arena before giving the word. "Begin!"

Hooves thundered across the ground as the opposing champions began their attack. James charged at Rocman, but the old tauren was well-versed in war, and mounted combat was no exception. He kept his defenses up despite the death knight's best efforts.

Ash singled out a target with significance – Anando. He felt a nagging need to prove his worth against Zaraia's father, and without thinking much about defense, rushed in, slamming his lance into the death knight's side. It proved to be a poor choice, and he fled from the Crusader while rushing to put up his defense spells.

Lorien rode around the side of the arena and came at Misty from behind, as was true to her rogue nature. Luckily, Zeliek had taught the trick to opposing this technique to his student – though paladins preferred to play fair, they learned to counter unfair engagements regardless. To the undead's shock, the young paladin turned her horse quickly, then _she _charged at _Lorien,_ completely reversing the situation!

Gary charged at Zul'tore before the troll was ready, landing a nasty blow as his horse galloped past, then turned around smoothly and landed a second blow before his opponent had a chance to really do much in response.

Jessie snapped the reins and her horse ran at Mokra's. They passed, literally, like jousting knights. Mokra's horse came to a halt and turned to charge again as the warlock tried to avoid crashing into her companions.

Ash continued to flee from his pursuer until he had a chance to put up his defense spells. He noticed that Anando had stopped chasing him and took his chance to charge – only to be charged in return. Both combatants hit one another with great force, but their defense spells kept them from harm. They circled around to attack again, getting close enough to prevent a charge. Anando restored his defense spells.

Zul'tore had lost nearly all his defensive spells to Gary's unrelenting assault. The mage stopped to allow the troll to build distance between them. As soon as he felt he had room, but before his opponent had time to do much, he charged. Zul'tore was nearly knocked off his horse by the impact.

James' horse reared up and whinnied, backing away from the larger stallion that aggressively lunged at it over and over. Rocman forced the death knight back as he attacked, yet did not let his own guard down. James suddenly snapped the reins and his steed rushed around the side of his opponent opposite the lance. The tauren tried to turn his mount and this was his mistake, as James had already come around the other side and slammed his lance into his opponent. Still, the tauren was hard to dismount and did not fall.

Lorien, recognizing her bad start, tried to leave the engagement to start again, but Misty wouldn't let her escape. To let her opponent restart was to hand her the advantage. The paladin kept right on the rogue's flank, constantly jabbing at her with the lance.

The warlock's horse halted and turned around quickly, but not quickly enough. The orc's lance hit her in the side and knocked her to the ground. Jessie scrambled out of the way to avoid being trampled.

The mage renewed his defensive spells and continued his attack. He continued to jab at the troll until Zul'tore tried to cast defense on himself; Gary backed away and then charged. The troll slammed into the arena floor and scurried to the edge, narrowly avoiding the hooves of horses.

All this was going on in a very chaotic and noisy environment. The hooves were thundering, the thud and clang of lances echoed in the circular room, and the crowd was going wild.

Lorien had to stop fleeing, as she came up to the wall, with more jousters on either side. She had nowhere left to run, and the paladin had stopped chasing her. She looked over her shoulder as she was about to tug the reins, but it was too late. The rogue slammed into the wall as Misty turned to help James.

As it turned out, the death knight didn't need her help. It was a narrow victory but he managed to defeat Rocman. His fellow death knight was performing just as well across the stadium. Zaraia didn't know who to cheer for – her family, or her love? Either way, she'd be proud of the winner. Anando was very skilled in the joust – as a Crusader first and foremost, he had to be.

"You fight well, boy. You are truly a powerful warrior – I'm glad to have you on our side. We need all the force we can get against the Scourge."

Ash put up a defensive spell and then lunged at the elf. "So you have no hatred for humans?"

"Race means little to me – I do not care for the conflict between factions, only for the struggle against the Scourge."

"Too bad that couldn't have rubbed off on your daughter when I first met her."

The two combatants continued to lunge, back away, charge, and lunge some more. "You know my Zaraia, then?" Anando asked.

"Um… Q-Quite well…!" Ash stammered. The hesitation extended to his fighting and cost him his victory. A sharp thrust of the elf's lance; the warrior was on the floor.

"Do not let conversation distract you. Still, good fight!" The death knight turned his noble steed around and joined a new battle.

Mokra aimed his lance at Misty and tugged the reins. He wasn't watching Gary, who came from the side and hit him, _hard_. He turned his horse in a wide loop, trying to come around and strike the mage in return.

Anando, having made himself a clear threat, drew the attention of the other two Alliance combatants. James and Misty, knowing their only hope was to gang up on the elf, charged from opposite sides. To their shock, Zaraia's father managed to put up quite a fight. He countered James' attack and responded immediately to Misty's with a defense spell.

Gary waited for his opponent to be on the far side of his circle, then charged. The orc put up another defense spell, but it was too late. Gary's horse reared up; it brought its hooves crashing down and its rider lunged with the motion, knocking the orc off the warhorse with a powerful attack.

Misty nearly fell off her steed from the blow the elven death knight landed on her side, but recovered. "That's the paladin spirit!" Anando said, impressed by the girl's resilience. James was about to lunge, when the other death knight suddenly yanked the reins and galloped away between his attackers. He looped around – Gary charged, but missed – and slammed his lance into James' side, but not without receiving a counterattack.

It was the young paladin who landed the finishing blow, knocking the elf off his horse. The crowd erupted into cheers, whistles, screams, and applause. Zeliek got a little bit overenthusiastic in his congratulations and cheering for his student, actually leaping to his feet in excitement and putting one hand on the rail, with the other in a fist in the air. Realizing he'd gotten a bit carried away, he cleared his throat and silently sat down again. Nobody noticed or cared, though, as they were all still cheering. The noise died down as the heroes from both sides recovered before the second part of the match.

"Round two, on foot! Begin!" Arelas announced. Lorien tried to sneak up on James, but Jessie caught her and a battle of the shadows ensued. James, meanwhile, targeted his fellow death knight, who he noted was only using blood and frost based spells. He would gain an advantage by using unholy attacks. Ash knew better than to mess with the elf, and instead charged at the orc. Rocman turned into a powerful, muscular lion and pounced at Gary, who blinked out of the way just in time. Misty stumbled as an arrow embedded itself in her side – not very deeply; it had been slowed by her armor. It was reasonably safe to yank it out.

Ash barely avoided the orc's attack, responding by lunging at his opponent's gut; much to his surprise, his attack was countered. Momentarily stunned by the blow to the head, Ash was thrown against the wall by a follow up. Shaking his head, he got to his feet and charged, embedding both swords in Mokra's side.

Lorien fought past the wall of fire and shadow that the warlock had put up between them. Jessie backed away, casting a shadowflame – the fiery head of a demon spewing dark flames deterred the rogue somewhat, but not enough to stop her – as the undead lunged. The warlock whipped her dagger out and tried to block one of Lorien's blades, stopping the other by grabbing the rogue's wrist. The undead woman overcame Jessie's parry and brought the dagger down into the warlock's side. Wincing, Jessie retaliated, setting fire to her attacker. She then unleashed the fury of the shadows – the darkness, so long home to the rogue, now rose up to attack her. Stunned, Lorien was at the warlock's mercy, and mercy she did not receive. As Lorien stood on her hands and knees, Jessie drained the last of her strength, healing herself as the rogue collapsed, barely able to drag herself out of the arena.

Gary locked the druid in a prison of ice, standing back and quickly cycling through his fast spells, throwing a pyroblast when appropriate. "You're stronger," the lion growled, "Good." The ice broke; the cat pounced, knocking the mage to the floor. They tumbled several feet before Gary was able to use his staff to throw Roc off of him. The cat yowled when Jessie came to her fellow caster's aid, backing him up with a chaos bolt.

James struck Anando with a powerful unholy attack. The elf winced and responded with a blast of ice, followed by a brutal attack with his runeblade. The moment it pierced his skin, James knew the blade was blessed to be particularly effective against the undead; it burned like acid. The human death knight staggered and gritted his teeth. The ground below him turned gray and dead, leeching the strength of the high elf.

A faint shudder in his voice, Anando said, "Your reliance on the unholy will be your downfall."

"You are just as undead as I," James pointed out. He'd struck something deep in the elf's heart. Anando lashed out, calling upon a second runeblade that fought on its own to help him. Struck by two holy blades, James had to struggle to stay standing.

"The Light does not heed my call – I was never a paladin, I admit it! – but I still serve it as any other member of the Argent Crusade! I have forsaken the unholy ways of the Scourge, and you'd do best to do the same."

"Your faith is… admirable," James stated, throwing Anando backwards with a powerful, icy wind, "but I am a death knight. I've learned to embrace that."

Zaraia's father got back to his feet, shook his head, and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "And I have learned to embrace the fact that I have a holy weapon." James lunged at him; he parried. The human death knight tried to attack again, but Anando was simply too fast. The blessed runeblade embedded itself in James' side. He slumped to the floor, clutching his side.

"You also… have training…" James observed. Anando looked around to make sure he wouldn't be attacked, and took a moment to pull James to his feet so the human could get out of the way.

Zul'tore fled from the paladin girl, as he had all through the match, turning around from time to time to shoot at her. Most of his arrows bounced harmlessly off her shield. She was unable to catch him, but continued to chase after him, pounding him with judgements when she could. She tried a spell she'd learned from Zeliek – a powerful blast of holy light, referred to as a holy shock. It was very impressive, visually; a bright beam of light that healed allies and seared enemies. The undead paladin in the audience grinned silently; Misty learned quickly.

Roc switched into the form of a powerful bear and reared up, bellowing loudly. Gary backed away. "Jessie, help!"

"Sorry; I'm afraid not," Anando said, standing between the warlock and the mage, blade ready.

Ash blocked an attack with one sword, lunging with the other; the same tactic he'd used on Gary worked here – one weapon versus two gave the dual wielder the advantage. Mokra tried to counter, but Ash, despite being covered in blood and bruises, had worked himself into a battle frenzy. No amount of pain would keep him from victory! He slammed one weapon into the orc's shoulder and the other into his back. Mokra fell to his knees, and tried to pick himself back up. Ash kicked him and put his sword directly over the orc's face. Mokra surrendered at that point.

The sickening sound of a bear's claw smacking painfully into a human body caused the warrior to wince slightly. Gary slammed into the ground at Ash's feet. Roc reared up again, claws raised. The mage blinked out of the way as the druid's claws crashed into the ground. Ash decided to help his friend – as a fragile mage, Gary needed the support, and Jessie was no longer able to provide that backup.

In fact, she was in desperate need of backup herself. Her shadow magic did nothing to hold the Crusader at bay. He'd been trained specifically to not let unholy attacks distract him. He braced himself against the searing pain and curses and did not falter for even a moment.

Misty continued her relentless assault on the troll. Zul'tore was weakening, and the paladin had him cornered – the wall of the arena on one side, an angry bear, warrior, and mage on the other. Misty raised her sword and rushed forward to finish the fight. She halted for a moment as an arrow got through her armor and buried itself about an inch and a half into her hip. Shrugging off the pain, she continued forward with only the slightest limp. The familiar crown and wings of light appeared, and her sword began to glow as she struck the last bit of strength out of her opponent. Misty glanced over her shoulder – everyone was still busy. She offered her hand to the troll to help him up, but he crawled away on his own. The paladin glanced over her shoulder again.

Jessie broke down and begged for mercy at the death knight's feet. He nodded at her, accepting her surrender. "Good fight. I noticed you don't rely on demons."

"To be honest," she answered, as Anando helped her stand again, "sometimes I just forget to summon them."

"At any rate, it's good to see you've found an independent way to fight. Terribly sorry about your leg – it couldn't be helped. We'll get that healed right after the match." The death knight was speaking quickly and moving as fast as he could with the injured warlock; he needed to get back to the action. Jessie, despite limping badly, could make it the rest of the way without the elf's help. Anando returned his attention to combat just in time; Misty, no longer dealing with Zul'tore, was ready to test him.

Rocman decided to stop fooling around with furry animal forms and really get down to business. He shifted into a moonkin form, hooting loudly as he called down a beam of moonfire to strike the warrior. Gary realized that the druid's attention was focused on Ash, so he now had a chance to do some real damage. Lines of arcane energy burst into flames around him and he threw a powerful pyroblast, knocking the moonkin backwards into the wall. In response, he was struck with starfire before the druid returned to attacking the warrior. The mage continued his attack, blasting Roc with dragon's breath and flamestrike. The druid cast a wrath spell; Ash found himself flat on his back, on the ground, hardly able to get up. Defeated, he retreated to the edge of the arena.

"Good job; well fought," the druid said.

Misty consecrated the ground – a champion of the Light though he was, Anando was still undead, and still vulnerable to the attacks of a true paladin. The elf brought his sword down; the girl crouched slightly, holding her shield above her to deflect the blow. His undefended side was an obvious target, so she attacked. The death knight stepped back, then reentered the fight from another angle.

"You fight well."

"Sir Zeliek taught me."

"Sir Zeliek? So he's free from the Scourge, now?"

The paladin braced herself against the blast of ice. "Yes." She countered with a judgement. "He's in the audience right now, next to Highlord Fordring."

Anando glanced up for just a split second, not allowing himself to be distracted. "I have long admired his devotion to the Light and fighting skill. If he's training such a skilled paladin as you, it certainly does make you a force to be reckoned with!" Misty deflected his attack, catching the hilt of his sword with her own, then lunged. Her attack was not without its risks, and she received a nasty blow to the shoulder for her efforts.

"I'll introduce you to him after the match."

The druid was weakening. Gary put up a mana shield and used an evocation spell, then placed a living bomb spell on Rocman. He froze himself in a block of ice to kill time while the spell ticked away. There was a fiery blast that nearly forced the druid to his knees, and the mage returned to combat. The moonkin began casting a wrath spell, but Gary was too quick. The mage threw an ice lance, followed it with a fire blast, a frostfire bolt, and a flamestrike, before finishing the druid off with a pyroblast. The moonkin shifted back into tauren form, holding up his hands to signal surrender. He then walked to the edge of the arena.

It was now only Gary and Misty against Anando. The death knight glanced back and forth at his two opponents. The mage began casting a fireball, but Anando interrupted it, blasting Gary with ice magic, somehow preventing him from casting fire spells.

The death knight lunged at the paladin, who blocked the blow but was forced to step back and to the side; she was physically weaker than the elf, and had a smaller, one-handed sword, as opposed to his powerful runeblade. She was simply not strong enough to hold him back. She whipped her sword around and darted past her opponent's sword; it swung around to keep pointing at her, but not fast enough to stop her from landing a blow on Anando's side. She then backed away again.

Gary cast a frost nova, locking the death knight in place, then cast a frostbolt. Misty took advantage of the elf's inability to move away, coming around and attacking from the back – it wasn't the most honorable move, but they _were_ being trained and tested for combat against the Scourge.

The mage regained his fire magic, and put it to use right away, throwing a fireball at the death knight. Anando responded with a blast of icy wind, just as the frost nova broke. A sword struck him in the side; the death knight dropped to one knee and surrendered.

"Well done. I'm proud to have you in the ranks of the Argent Crusade."

The elf walked to the exit with the rest of the Horde champions. The Alliance heroes gathered in the center of the arena to recover for the next phase, as the crowd cheered wildly.


	64. Memories

Highlord Tirion Fordring brought the crowd to silence, then said, "Well fought! Your next challenge comes from the Crusade's own ranks. You will be tested against her considerable prowess."

Arelas Brightstar returned to the center of the arena to continue the announcement. "The next combatant is second to none in her passion for upholding the Light. I give you Argent Confessor Paletress!" The gate swung open, and a woman in white, gold, and black entered, along with three priestesses, monks, and paladins.

"Thank you, good herald," Paletress said, her voice gentle and surprisingly quiet, "Your words are too kind. May the Light give me strength to provide a worthy challenge."

"You may begin!"

Paletress stood back and watched her nine companions fight the newly healed champions.

Ash drew the attention of five of them while James menaced the other four. There was no ignoring the death knight or the warrior. Jessie called down a rain of fire over the five that fought against Ash, while Gary backed the attack with ice. Misty was very busy trying to heal both James and Ash. A shard of ice struck down a monk. Gary had the brilliant idea to cast a living bomb spell on each of his opponents. Though it drained most of his mana, he could continue fighting.

The warlock cast a shadowbolt at a paladin. He surrendered and retreated to the edge of the arena. A priestess soon followed, carrying the fallen monk away to heal him. There was an explosion of fire and the two Argents that the warrior was facing both dropped to their knees. Misty was desperately multitasking and this was a burden off her shoulders as she could heal James exclusively. The death knight was able to take down one of the paladins on his own, even though he was merely stalling. A blast of holy power caused him to wince. Gary threw a fireball at the priestess, then an ice lance. Jessie's rain of fire helped bring the last of their opponents to their knees. Now they could face Paletress herself.

"Very well, let it begin."

James was the first to attack. Paletress didn't even flinch. She simply gestured with her hand and a pillar of golden light slammed into the death knight from above. He gasped in pain and gritted his teeth as holy fire licked over his body, burning him.

Jessie retaliated for him with a chaosbolt. Gary began casting a pyroblast. Ash tried to attack the woman, but she knocked his feet out from under him with her staff, then attacked, calling down a scimitar of light.

The paladin alternated between healing and attacking. With only a single enemy, there was not a great demand on her mana. She was about to cast a judgement, but Paletress had other ideas. A globe of sparkling golden light erupted around her, throwing everyone off their feet.

"Take this time to consider your past deeds; that which haunts your memories…" She put both hands on the staff and leaned on it. "Is there anything you wish to confess?"

The heroes, on their knees, were struck with an inexplicable urge to reveal the darkest, most troubling experiences of their lives. Paletress was using magic on them.

Misty was the first to speak. The words were being dragged from deep in her conscience. Her voice was full of guilt and pain. "We once killed a man who did not deserve it… He was misled, but not evil…"

The Argent Confessor spoke gently, sympathetically. "What was his name?"

"Edwin VanCleef…"

Having heard of VanCleef, Paletress knew what was going on. "Perhaps your memory is tainted by the emotions of the time… Let us overwrite those emotions."

Shadows gathered from the floor, all around the arena, and built themselves into what appeared almost to be the ghost of VanCleef. Tendrils of shadow wrapped themselves around Ash, Misty, and Gary – the ones present at the time – then returned to 'VanCleef'. The shadow was drawing on their memories.

"None may challenge the brotherhood!"

The three young heroes who had slain VanCleef backed away in horror. They could face the terrors of the Scourge with minimal fear, but VanCleef still haunted their nightmares, possibly because he was among the first real threats they dealt with. He'd been terrifying to them then, and that terror was interlocked with the memory.

The Rockets had no such experience, and the Defias leader was no more threatening to them than any other enemy. James and Jessie attacked with nothing holding them back.

Ash shut his eyes tightly. He desperately did not want to relive that fight. After a moment, he opened his eyes. Trying to pretend he was somewhere else wouldn't help him. He charged.

"Lapdogs, all of you!" the memory shouted, slamming his swords into the warrior's side, even as the shadow was being torn apart by the boy.

Paletress healed 'VanCleef' and continued to lean on her staff. Gary wasn't going to let her make it harder. He redirected the spell toward himself, effectively stealing it. Then he cast a pyroblast at the being that had haunted him for so long.

"The brotherhood shall prevail!"

Misty stood back. She was, by far, the most traumatized by that memory.

"Face your fear, paladin. Be brave," Paletress reassured her.

'VanCleef' threw Ash back several feet. The warrior slammed into the mage and both fell to the floor.

"_Fools! Our cause is __**righteous!**_"

Misty's eyes widened for a moment. She shut them tight. No, not that phrase! That phrase that had echoed in her nightmares. She had to end this living hell! Kill it, get it over with, make it go away! She cast a holy shock at the shadow, then rushed forward, casting a judgement and slamming her sword into the memory's chest. 'VanCleef' dissipated.

Gary, picking himself up and dusting his tunic off, looked at his allies, still shaking. "That… wasn't too bad…"

A sense of peace bloomed within the youngest three.

"Even the darkest memory fades when confronted. He was no different than any other necessary kill you've made, save that he was among the first. A situation the same as any other would have seemed much worse at the time, and memories are charged by the emotions of that time. You were simply not yet ready to kill."

A burden had been lifted from their souls. "Thank you," the paladin said.

Paletress nodded. "Well done today." She bowed and left.

Tirion silenced the crowd. "Well done, champions! You have proven yourselves today-"

Suddenly Arelas interrupted him. The elf pointed into the sky above the arena. "What's that, up near the rafters?"

The thing near the rafters came down toward the ground. Some of the viewers in the audience screamed. Others reached for their weapons, though they realized they wouldn't be able to get down to the arena floor in time – best to leave it to the heroes.

The skeletal gryphon landed, and the man in black armor dismounted. "You spoiled my grand entrance, _rat_." He raised his hand and Arelas was yanked from the floor, clutching at his throat. The black knight made a throwing motion and the high elf was knocked backwards through the air by an invisible force. He slammed into the wall, headfirst, breaking his neck and collapsing to the floor, dead.

Zeliek leaned out over the railing. "_What is the meaning of this? Who are you? Show your face!_" he shouted, furious.

"Your meddling little dog Pentalon may have sniffed me out before, but did you _honestly_ think an agent of the Lich King would be bested on the field of your pathetic little tournament? I've come to finish my task; _this farce ends here!_"

The black knight turned to the corpse of Arelas Brightstar and began to cast a dark spell. The body twisted and mutated into a ghoul as it lurched to its feet.

Misty's automatic reaction was to focus and steel her mind against the shadow magic that she knew would soon be turned on her. Like some form of projected aura, the resistance to the darkness spread to her allies.

King Varian shouted "Don't just stand there! _Kill him!_"

The ghoul leapt at the warlock; she blasted it with demon's breath as a natural response, but that didn't stop it from landing on her and knocking her onto her back. Snarling and wheezing, the ghoul raised a claw… Then was sent flying across the room with a single fluid motion of James' runeblade. He grabbed his friend's hand and yanked her to her feet before chasing after the undead Arelas.

Ash charged at the black knight, giving a berserker shout as he did. He slammed his blades through his enemy's armor; the black knight brought his axe into the warrior's side, leaving a deep, bleeding gash. Misty immediately noticed a green substance on the wound – the death knight had used a form of plague strike. Immediately, the paladin cast her purifying spell on the warrior – twice, just to make sure.

Meanwhile, Arelas was locked in combat with James. The ghoul lunged at the death knight's legs; James hurried backwards and swung his runeblade; he missed, but he then lunged with a stabbing motion, this time catching the former elf right in the middle of the ribcage. Arelas gurgled in protest but simply hauled himself up the blade – James froze for a moment as he remembered the last thing he saw before his death: a ghoul working its way down his sword, then clamping its horrible jaws down on his neck. The hesitation caused by this flashback was what the ghoul needed. He let out a wordless yowl as he lunged.

A shadowbolt slammed into him from behind James with such force that it ripped him off the sword. James glanced over his shoulder at Jessie; she'd just saved him from a second death. The warlock followed her shadow spell with one of fire. The ghoul was not able to take it and simply collapsed.

Ash's wounds were healed, but he didn't even notice – he'd already stopped feeling pain. The axe came down toward his head, but he brought his swords up and crossed them below the other weapon, catching it by the handle. He struggled against the strong Scourge knight, who in turn struggled against him. The black knight was so intent on killing the young warrior that he didn't even notice the ticking time bomb Gary had placed on him.

"Watch out!" the mage warned. Ash jumped backwards just in time for the explosion. The skin and muscle were blasted right off the black knight's bones, his armor going with them.

"My rotting flesh was just getting in the way!"

The heroes collectively gasped and retreated a few steps, shocked. The skeleton still stood there! The black knight would not give up easily. He called upon those long dead; an army of corpses clawed their way to the surface.

"Two can play at this," James muttered, casting the same dark spell. More of the deceased crawled up from the floor. The two small legions of ghouls leapt upon each other, tearing one another apart. Ash was about to charge back into combat when the skeletal knight raised his axe and then swung it powerfully into the ground. The ground around it turned grey and dead like mold around a hole in a fruit.

The paladin rushed forward to retaliate. Unexpectedly, skeletal hands reached up from the ground and tried to grab at her legs, slowing her, but she got close enough anyway, then raised her sword and slammed the tip into the ground, fighting the unholy desecration with her own holy consecration. Angry, the Scourge warrior swung his axe at her. Ice formed on the edges as he did so, going past the end of the weapon and breaking off into a frosty magic attack. She blocked part of it with her shield, but the rest struck her painfully in the side. Gary and Jessie unleashed their spells from far away, avoiding going anywhere near the death knight. His dark consecration could be quite deadly. Fire and ice rained down, striking ghouls as well as the black knight.

Ash attacked, charging from the edge of the arena, running past the grasping hands of the dead. He slammed one sword into the spine of the skeleton knight and put the other through the skull. James helped him with a frost spell, and the bones of the knight gave up, collapsing.

The black knight himself, however, did not. "I have no need for bones to best you!" The ghost hovered in the air, claws outstretched. He decided to use a spell he'd been saving – he could only cast it once a day, but now was the time to use it. He selected a target: the mage throwing fireballs at his face. A dark shadow swirled around the startled boy – he was marked for death. He made sure his mage armor spell was up, just to be sure that any magic wouldn't be quite as effective against him. Just then, a massive explosion of ice and shadow struck everyone in the arena, and it hit _hard_.

The heroes scrambled to find ways to resist the frost and shadow. Gary had been lucky to put up his mage armor, and Jessie followed the example with demon armor. Misty was already contributing with a shadow-resisting aura, and James with his ever-present frost aura.

The paladin retreated. She knew she'd be doing a lot of healing. The warrior taunted the ghostly Scourge knight to keep him busy while James, Jessie, and Gary attacked with frost, fire, and shadow magic. The black knight repeatedly blasted everyone with the dark explosion, and it was all Misty could do to keep everyone alive. She was healing constantly.

Even so, she couldn't keep up with the amplified spell effects on Gary. The mage was going to die if nobody did anything. In a last-ditch effort to survive, he put up his mana shield and then tried to use the precious time it bought him as efficiently as possible. Letting the arcane lines return and fuel a blazing attack, he cast various quick spells, an instant pyroblast, and then rushed up to use the last of his mana on a dragon's breath attack. He was lucky; the ghost dissipated in the flames.

"No…! I must not… fail… _again!_"

The heroes stood ready. Would the knight rise yet again? After several moments of nothing happening, they relaxed. The crowd slowly began to cheer and clap. The adventurers turned to the spectators and waved.

"My congratulations, champions!" Highlord Fordring said, "Through trials both planned and unexpected, you have triumphed. Go now, and rest. You've earned it."


	65. A Storm Gathers

Zeliek and Anando were both standing by a table, where a map of Icecrown was spread out, as the elf marked out weak points, strong points, and areas of interest for the Scourge forces. Zeliek was drawing lines and symbols with chalk, talking about tactics and possible ways to divide the forces up. Misty watched and struggled to make sense of the marks the undead paladin was making on the parchments.

"If we send Jaina's forces through here, we could cause confusion as the Scourge try to fend them off while the Stormwind Paladins lead the charge through here… Maybe…"

Anando shook his head. "Frost wyrms, Sir Zeliek."

The paladin sighed and shut his eyes. This would be difficult. "Hm… If we station the archers over here – no… that still won't work… We need aerial support. I should have known the dragons wouldn't come through…"

Kai curled his tail more tightly around his body in the corner, lowering his head sadly. He'd done his best…

Starwisp put a hand on his head. "It's not your fault…"

"I know…"

"Maybe if we put some of our mounted fighters on hippogryphs…" Anando suggested.

"Can't afford to take enough of them off the ground, I'm afraid…"

"Then we'll just have to try to use a small force of aerial fighters and rely on our sharpshooters and casters to pick the flyers off from the ground."

Zeliek nodded. He picked up some colored stones they were using to represent groups of soldiers. "These paladins; let's move them over here with the rest of the Stormwind Cathedral forces. Those over there with the draenei, too. What if we put all the paladins together – except the Blood Knights; leave them where they're at…"

XXX

Tirion looked at the crowds moving around the Argent Grounds. Every race and class imaginable was present. Even those the heroes did not rally were present – presumably news spread from group to group, so that the paladins Misty had gathered informed the rest of Stormwind, and in turn, Ironforge was notified. A considerable number of Dalaran wizards heard from Jaina and decided to lend a hand. Thrall had gathered what was left of the Horde that hadn't heard of the impending raid. Indeed, it seemed like everyone was present, save the dragons. The Blackflight had yet to show up.

XXX

The Scourge watchman stood at his post, watching the pass below like a hawk watching a field, waiting for mice to feed upon. The skeleton noticed something out of the corner of his vision, and turned to look. His jawbone dropped so far it nearly fell off his skull.

There, coming from the Argent Grounds, kicking up a massive cloud of snow behind them, was a steadily marching army. Not a battalion. Not a division. _An army_. By trickling in through the mountains, the forces the heroes had rallied had been able to slip past the Scourge and straight into the Tournament for training. The massive increase in their numbers had gone unnoticed, until now. And now, it was too late for the Scourge to call in what was left of their reinforcements. The Crusade was on its way to Icecrown.

Misty looked over her shoulder. She'd never _seen_ so many paladins and priests in her life! All around her, it was a sea of blue and gold armored chargers, with the occasional white horse for a priest, or a horse dressed in the colors of the Argent Crusade. She was in the very front, along with Tirion Fordring and Sir Zeliek. Anando was also with them, the only blood elf in that division.

The rest of the Blood Knights were in Sylvanas' Division, along with the Forsaken warriors and all the mages, warlocks, and shadow priests the Horde elves and Forsaken could gather. Jessie was among the few humans in that group, and she rode her felsteed proudly, right behind the Dark Lady herself. She had been glad to hear her division would be right behind the Knights of the Ebon Blade, but she'd gravely underestimated the sheer _scale_ of this attack. She wasn't able to see James through the massive death knight division, since he was leading with Highlord Mograine at the very front. All she could see were death knights of every race, all proudly wearing the colors of their order, on identical mounts. She could not see the horizon past them all.

James had a clear view, of course. Being in the front, he was able to not only see where they were going, but also the two other leading divisions. The wind blew a few strands of his faded purple hair in front of his eyes, but he ignored it, only occasionally removing the snowflakes that got stuck in it if they obstructed his vision considerably. He looked to the side. The paladin division was directly across from his, and between them was the main force – a group of soldiers that were left over after specialty groups were assigned.

This was the group that Ash ended up in the front of. Most of the leaders of the Horde and the Alliance were with him, because the majority of their forces ended up there. It was made mainly of warriors and shamans, as well as non-elven hunters, but there were some random casters in there as well. Because of its fairly random composition, this was the group with the most trainers in it, and it showed. A wide variety of pokemon marched with the horses, raptors, elekks, wolves, and other beasts.

The main force was, of course, directly in front of the magic division. Gary found himself leading many more mages than he'd expected, as well as some of the Theramore Guard – noncasters. Jaina's forces had merged into the same unit as the most powerful Dalaran mages. Never before had Azeroth had so much pure magical firepower packed into a space of that size. It was hard to be worried when surrounded by so many powerful wizards, and Gary found their very presence reassuring. Zaraia rode just a few lines away, among the leaders of the Kirin Tor. She'd _dreamed_ of fighting next to Rhonin, and now her dreams were becoming reality. Jaina also rode in the front, as did Khadgar.

To their left, there were many druids. They were not mounted. Instead, they were traveling as spotted cats – like cheetahs, but more muscular and with the stamina of a horse. Here and there, larger tigers of other colors prowled with them, carrying priestesses of Elune, Tyrande among them.

"I hope nobody here is allergic to cats," Gary mentioned to Jaina, smirking.

"Indeed."

The ranger division brought up the rear. This group was the reason the main division had only non-elven hunters. It was here that Starwisp led the best sharpshooters Tyrande and Lor'themar had to offer, all equipped with their finest bows and as many arrows as their enchanted quivers could hold. They formed a long line that stretched from the left end of the army all the way to the right. It was _their_ job to shoot down the flying servants of the Scourge.

Lorien looked around at her group. They were the least organized and smallest division. All the assassins, thieves, and other shady characters of the Horde and Alliance who were willing and able to serve the Crusade's cause were lumped together in this group. Their orders had simply been to stay out of the way, cause trouble for the Scourge, and stay alive. They really had no orders about where they were to march until the raid on the citadel itself began. There were rogues of every kind here, but most were undead, largely because the Forsaken were the most likely to answer the call to arms against the Scourge. The woman looked around, but didn't see anybody she really _knew_, aside from catching a glimpse of Rex with some other blood knights. Her friends were here, but the army was so large that she was lucky to be able to see even one of them.

The skeleton watchman, jaw still hanging incredulously, finally recovered enough to turn to a companion who was watching the other side of Mord'Rethar. He grunted. The other watchman looked at him, and he gestured for his companion to come over and look.


	66. Welcome to the War

The forces the heroes had gathered plowed slowly through Icecrown Valley. They tried their best not to break formation as they marched across the icy wastes, though they soon fell under attack. Alarm horns rang out across the entire region as the Scourge scouts signaled to one another, sounding the call for help. The first resistance the heroes encountered was only basic.

Ghouls, zombies, skeletons, and geists charged forth to meet the invaders in combat. They didn't stand a chance. Some of the soldiers in the front lines were about to charge in return but their leaders signaled them to stay in formation. The Scourge ran headlong into their demise. Those that ran toward the main division were cut down by warriors and shattered by the spells of warlocks, shamans, and troll voodoo priests. King Varian brought his blade down on a skeleton's head, while Thrall struck a zombie down with Lightning. A ghoul leapt onto a troll priest's raptor, only to be shot down by a blast of darkness.

A group of Scourge charged at the paladins, suicidally choosing the most painful death. All the paladins in the front row cast their judgements in unison, creating a powerful wall of Holy Light that held the undead at bay for a moment and left a straight line of collapsed Scourge.

Opposite them, the death knights destroyed the mindless minions of Arthas that rushed into oblivion. Unholy energy and ice rose up in bursts. The wails and moans of collapsing Scourge filled the air as the Argent Army unflinchingly continued forward, not slowed in the least by the onslaught of disposable minions. Aldurthar loomed ahead, one of many Scourge gates the heroes would have to get by. It was a horrible situation, a bottleneck the entire army would have to squeeze through. Tirion Fordring rode out in front of the army, soon joined by Misty, Anando, and Zeliek.

"Come," Zaraia's father shouted over his shoulder, "all paladins and priests, through the gate first! We'll hold the Scourge back on the other side while the rest of the army comes through!" The holy warriors streamed out in front of the army and through the gate. The sounds of combat came from the other side of the wall. The Argent Army began to move again. Great shadows were cast by the Holy Light; it never flickered or died, as someone was always using it. It was a constant source of hope.

Vaporeon took a running leap at a random ghoul, tearing it apart with her teeth and claws. Someone's scyther darted out in front of the warhorses, letting out a battle cry as it began to slash the zombies and geists to shreds.

A ghoul tried to attack Misty, but she killed it right away with little trouble.

"Look out!" Sir Zeliek shouted at her. She looked to one side, then the other, and then up, just in time to raise her shield to protect herself from a gargoyle. An ice spell shot it out of the sky; the death knights were through. More gargoyles came, diving down on the heroes. James raised his runeblade and let one impale itself. The main division was pushing through the gate, forcing the other raiders forward, even as they fought to survive.

A pair of gargoyles dove at Kroll. He attacked one and cut it in half midair, and his wolf mount grabbed the other and pulled it out of the sky, killing it easily. The shock troops continued to assault the heroes. Zeliek put his sword straight through a geist's eye, and in one fluid motion brought the weapon around to crack a skeleton's skull open.

Anando's horse reared up, eyes blazing with blue fire, then brought its hooves down on a zombie as its rider put his blessed runeblade into a ghoul's chest.

Tirion cut down four skeletons at once with a blast of holy power. A gargoyle dove at him but Misty shot it down with a holy shock. A trainer in the main division sent his fearow to directly combat the flying menaces. The pokemon flew straight into the flock of gargoyles, grabbing one in its claws and shredding it with its beak.

A geist jumped onto Ash's horse, but didn't stay there for long. Its head hit the ground several seconds after the body fell limply from its perch. Pikachu helped in clearing the sky of danger; one gargoyle after another dropped to the electric wrath of the little creature.

A second flock appeared, but not of gargoyles. A giant group of purple and brown crows soared over the gate and then landed in formation near the paladins, turning back into druids as they did. Green balls of energy streamed up from the tauren and night elf raiders as they all began to cast wrath spells at the gargoyles.

A gargoyle's limp form nearly landed on top of Sir Zeliek, still smoldering from the fireball that had killed it moments before. The undead paladin glanced over his shoulder. The mages were on their way through.

"Come on, let's move; the fighters need our help, _now!_" Gary urged, trying to get his fellow casters to hurry more.

The scyther found itself in a bad position when a gargoyle picked it up and flew high above the ground, ready to throw the pokemon into the Saronite wall. An arcane blast knocked the gargoyle senseless so it dropped its helpless victim, while a slow fall spell protected the pokemon from slamming painfully into the ground.

"Well done!" Rhonin congratulated Zaraia.

The mages were all the way past the gate. The rogues took this time to slide through and return to their place, hiding to the side and staying out of combat. They took only a few minutes to get through.

Sylvanas Windrunner pointed her sword through the gate and turned to the undead and blood elves gathered behind her. "_Selama ashal'anore__! Justice for our people!_" Her undead horse reared up with a whinny, then charged through the gate. Her followers shouted and echoed her battle cry, trying to squeeze through the gate as quickly as possible.

A dwarf paladin fell from his horse, having been overwhelmed by ghouls. Misty blasted them away with holy shock spells, but some of them escaped toward the back. Wendy, somewhere in with the priests, saw them coming and was the first to smite them with the power of the Light.

A gargoyle clamped its jaws down on the fearow's wing. Both pokemon and gargoyle plummeted to the ground, but the bird freed itself just in time to pull up and avoid impact. A shadowbolt killed the undead beast that pursued the pokemon as Jessie came through the gate, metaphorical guns blazing. Meowth took aim from the flank of the felsteed and shot his target right through the skull. The creature slammed into the ground next to Mary, who was in the main division.

A skeleton and two geists charged at a draenei priest in Fordring's division. The woman shouted something and her elekk simply crushed two of the offending undead, then picked up the last one with its trunk and squeezed it to death.

Somewhere, a Vrykul shouted in his native tongue.

Swords cut through flesh and snapped bone. Mounts whinnied and trumpeted and roared. Hooves and paws and claws pounded the earth. The frigid air reeked of blood. An arrow zipped overhead and killed not one, but two gargoyles. Starwisp reached for another arrow as her nightsaber carried her into battle, followed by the rest of the elven rangers. The last of them slipped through and the entire force continued on toward the Citadel. The Argent Army would not be stopped by Scourge fortifications.

"How much farther is it?" Misty asked.

"We're halfway there, and there are no more gates until we reach the area immediately outside the Citadel," Tirion told her.

They continued to cut through the simple Scourge troops like hot knives through butter. Now the Lich King's army realized the trouble they were in, and the stronger forces arrived. Nerubians charged ineffectively into the range of the paladins and their judgements. The smarter ones instead skittered toward the death knights. Darion Mograine waited for them to arrive and then began slicing them apart. James was frantically casting ice spells. He could hardly see through the snow that whirled around him, caused by the frost spells he unleashed on the undead army. The gargoyles continued to come. A charizard joined the fray, snapping one of the flying beasts nearly in half with its powerful jaws.

The frost Vrykul came, roaring in their indecipherable language.

Some of the mages appeared to buckle under the emotional stress. Some of the soldiers were on the verge of routing. "_Do not falter! You've come this far; don't you dare turn back now!_" Gary shouted at them. He tried to raise their spirits by casting a pyroblast at a gargoyle.

"To abandon this army is to abandon Azeroth! _Forward!_" Jaina yelled.

A Vrykul swung its axe at Anando. The death knight had no way to protect himself against the giant. A bubble of light formed around him, weakening but not stopping the monster's blow. The high elf glanced to the side.

"Don't look at me," Sir Zeliek said, "keep fighting!"

"Thanks," Zaraia's father said, then gave a loud battle shout. He blasted the Vrykul with a powerful bolt of icy magic, forcing the giant to step backwards. He lunged violently, thrusting his runeblade directly into the heart of the warrior.

A banshee came at Misty, but met her end in an exorcism spell. More of her kind were behind her. The snow was coming down fairly hard now, but through the white sheet, the heroes could now see Corp'rethar, the gate to Icecrown Citadel.

"Our goal is in sight; we are nearly there!" Thrall shouted.

Sylvanas knew that when the Citadel was in sight, it was time for her group to come to a stop. "Blood elves, Forsaken, allies! Halt! Starwisp, lead the rangers around to the front!"

"You heard Sylvanas!" the night elf said, "Take their place behind the death knights!"

The ghouls, skeletons, zombies, and geists were more sparse here. Now the force was largely of banshees, nerubians, and Vrykul.

The gargoyles still clashed in the sky with the pokemon and dropped like flies to the spells and arrows. Now, though, the arrows lessened in frequency as the rangers moved to the place previously occupied by the Undercity and Silvermoon soldiers. Once they were past, those raiders moved into place behind the rangers.

"There, look!" a blood elf ranger pointed into the sky. A large flying creature was approaching – not a gargoyle, but a valkyr. There were more behind her.

"Don't just gawk, kill it!" Starwisp snapped, aiming an arrow and letting it go.

Mograine put his sword through a nerubian's face, then attacked a frost Vrykul with an unholy spell.

Varian destroyed the plague eruptor that had come out of nowhere. The Lich King's army was getting desperate. The plague eruptors and even a flesh giant had arrived, rushing at the Argent Army in a last ditch effort to save their master. If the invaders got past the gates, Arthas would be forced to put the _entire remaining force_ out to be destroyed, and if _they_ failed, the Lich King would only have the defenses within the Citadel itself.

A frostbolt knocked a valkyr out of the sky. Vaku smiled smugly. Finally, he could get revenge on the army that had kept him separated from Zaraia for so long!

An arcanine tackled a plague eruptor to the ground. A valkyr grabbed the fearow's neck, but the pokemon slammed its beak into her heart and flew away as she plummeted to the glacier below.

A few paladins scattered as the flesh giant toppled down in front of them. The Argent Army had cleared the way to Corp'rethar.

Arthas heard the fighting stop on the other side of the wall. Only the courtyard stood between the advancing raiders and the Citadel, but it was no matter. The Lich King turned and went back to his frozen throne, only mildly worried about the invasion.

He had plenty of tricks still up his sleeve.


	67. Out of the Blue

The Argent Army streamed through Corp'rethar the same way it had with the last gate. This time, though, the rogues had a mission. They split off and slipped around the edge of the plains where so many would die. Meanwhile, Starwisp took the leadership role Tirion had assigned to her.

"Rangers of Quel'thalas and Teldrassil! Follow me, for the Moon, for the Sun! For our people, and for those who fight with us! _Take the walls, take the victory! Forward!_" She tugged her nightsaber's reins and charged. The rangers behind her shouted and cheered, also pulling their mounts to full speed ahead, splitting off from the main army and heading for the ramp in the mountains.

The Argent Army stopped and looked across the field. On the other side, the Scourge forces were waiting for them. It seemed like nobody would step up and begin the charge, until a paladin led her horse out in front of the army. Misty rode out to the center, so the entire front line could hear her.

"The Scourge have long made us suffer! They have taken many lives; they have destroyed dreams and families! Today, this ends! Today, we will take back the peace they have stolen! In the memory of the fallen, in the memory of all the pain the Scourge have brought, we will fight, and now, it's _our turn!_ To avenge the fallen, or to serve the Light, we all have a reason to be here, and a reason to fight. But it not just our lives at stake here, it is not just our friends and families at risk. Today, _all of Azeroth depends on us to win this battle!_" The paladin unsheathed her sword and her charger reared up, its gold armor glinting in the dull light of Icecrown. "_**For the Alliance! For the Horde! For the Light! **__**For Azeroth!**_"

Misty's charger kicked and whinnied loudly, then dropped to all fours and turned, as the paladin yanked on the reins, and began to gallop at full speed across the field of death.

All at once, the leaders in the front of the army cheered and their mounts also reared before charging.

"_In the name of the Light!_" Zeliek shouted.

"_For all that is Holy!_" Tirion added.

"_Fight on, brothers and sisters; today we have our revenge!_" James yelled, as his undead warhorse galloped as fast as its bones could carry it.

"_Lok'tar ogar!_" Ash shouted, already feeling the thrill of the battle.

Gary shouted a phrase in Thalassian as loud as he could: "_**Bash'a no falor talah!**_" – 'Taste the chill of true death!' His horse reared up and pounded its hooves into the ground, excited and ready to run as soon as the lines in front began to move.

The rest of the battlecries were incomprehensible, because the urge to shout and charge was spreading through the army like a wave, and all the cries merged into a singular cheer. The entire army began to move at full speed, the thundering of the feet of animals echoing in the circular valley, ringing off the mountains, their shouts echoing and being amplified as though Azeroth itself was shouting with them!

The frost vrykul let out their deep roars; the flesh giants moaned. The ghouls all threw back their heads and yowled. The death knights shouted and also began to charge. The gargoyles and valkyr dove and picked up speed as they soared toward their foes. Zombies shambled as quickly as they could across the fields, ghouls and geists loping by on all fours and quickly leaving their bipedal counterparts in the dust.

The rangers dismounted and charged up the ramp, shouting in their elven tongues. The skeletons that were about to rain arrows down on the Argent Army below turned and fired instead at the invaders. Several elves took arrows to the shoulders or legs, but kept running toward their enemies, however, not all were so lucky; the first casualty of the battle was a young male blood elf who took a hit directly to the heart. A night elf man collapsed as an arrow went straight through his head. Starwisp was not hit, and continued to lead the takeover. The elves reached the skeletal archers, and began to take control of Corp'rethar wall.

The two armies met below, weapons lowered. The clashing of swords, maces, axes, spears, and armor rang through the valley. The air was filled with the sound and sight of magic. Zeliek holy shocked a death knight right off his mount, and the horse veered to the side to avoid a collision. The undead paladin brought his sword in a sort of figure-eight, cutting down one ghoul on either side.

Ash had a very difficult time fighting with both hands and riding a horse at the same time, but he didn't need to do so for long. After slaying only a geist and two zombies, a skeleton with a spear killed the horse.

"_No!_" the warrior cried out, as he slammed into the ground, having been thrown by the dying animal. Though the horse had never been named, its rider had grown fond of it. It thudded lifelessly to the ground next to Ash, who sprung to his feet and continued fighting as he had always done before.

He was not the only one to lose a mount. All around him, on both sides of the conflict, mounts were dropping and formations were breaking. No more neat rank and file lines remained to be seen, only a gradient of Scourge to Living. All the divisions were involved now.

Gary directed his horse straight through a group of oncoming death knights, putting his mana shield up at the last minute and the lances aimed at him slid harmlessly off the bubble of blue light. As he passed, the mage put a living bomb spell on everything that moved, then retreated to the company of his fellow mages.

A night elf priestess of elune healed her druid brother as he fought in the form of a massive bear against a crypt fiend. The bear smacked the spider creature in the face. It shook itself and rattled its fangs. Another druid, in the form of a moonkin, called down the fury of the stars. She defended her fellow druid by drawing attention to herself with columns of concentrated moon and star light.

James' deathcharger reared up and brought its hooves down on a ghoul, then charged at a Vrykul. The giant began to swing his axe at the death knight, but James rode by too fast, swinging his runeblade quite swiftly on the way by, leaving a gash right through the middle of the giant man. The Vrykul dropped to his knees and then fell.

An undead warrior swung his battleaxe at an abomination. Next to him, a blood elf mage unleashed the fury of elemental fire on a pair of death knights. A blood elf priestess next to Jessie slumped out of her saddle and fell limply to the ground as a banshee's shadow spell hit her.

"Two can play at this!" the warlock said, sending a chaos bolt toward the banshee. A gargoyle dove down from above, but Meowth pulled an arrow from his quiver, took aim, and shot the monster right through the heart.

A blood elf man lunged at a skeletal archer, but took an arrow in the throat. He let out one last gasping cough and fell backwards off Corp'rethar. A night elf woman charged at the skeleton he'd been unable to destroy, successfully pushing it off the wall in the other direction. A single dark-skinned human among the elves kicked another skeleton off the wall.

"How you doing, Kai?" Starwisp asked him as she darted by him, punching a Scourge archer off the wall.

"Just fine, 'Wisp. Keep fighting."

Zaraia screamed in pain as an axe ripped her shoulder open, knocking her off her hawkstrider. The bird squawked and panicked, running away and leaving its rider on the ground. Ash grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet.

A voice called out behind the warrior as a familiar figure ran over and healed the girl. "Hey, baby, need a hand?" Rex winked as he helped the girl back into fighting condition. He failed to notice the wraith that was about to wrap its cold hands around his throat from behind.

"_Look out!_" the blood elf girl cried out. Rex spun around just in time to see the wraith get shot down by a frostbolt.

"Stand back, wanna-be," Vaku said, "the Sin'dorei will handle this."

A troll voodoo priest teamed up with a gnomish mage and an orc warlock to bring down a massive Scourged venusaur and its undead trainer. The decaying pokemon used a vine-whip attack; the rotting vines were still strong enough to kill the gnome with a simple squeeze. The pokemon took a step back and shook its head when the priest struck it with a powerful light spell. The orc's felhound jumped up onto the skeletal trainer, as its master began casting a fire spell.

Arrows flew overhead as the elves took control of the wall. Things were going perfectly as planned. Starwisp reached to her quiver, and the other elves all did the same at more or less the same time. They pulled their arrows back and pointed the bows skyward.

"_Fire!_" the night elf heroine shouted, and another round of arrows rained down over the valley.

The rogues reached their destination, right on the steps of Icecrown Citadel. The Scourge would never expect an attack from behind. Lorien dismounted and the rest of the rogues did the same. Then they charged. The first casualty was a tauren death knight, as Lorien literally jumped onto the back of his horse and put a dagger through his neck. He slumped out of the saddle and the rogue jumped down to continue her rampage.

An arcanine rushed through the Scourge forces at top speed, trampling the geists and pouncing on a flesh giant's hip, digging its teeth into the stitched colossus. A cat druid followed; the powerful lion took the pokemon's example into account. Rocman, in his animal form, also leapt up onto his massive target, and their combined weight caused the thing to lose balance. It tipped and fell like a giant tree.

A draenei woman with a crossbow shot a valkyr out of the sky. Another one dove down at her, but her giant eagle came down, talons outstretched, and knocked the flying Scourge woman into the ground with bone shattering force.

Anando, by sheer chance, nearly crashed into Zeliek as they both targeted the same Vrykul warrior. Laughing a bit, the high elf shouted, "Hail, brother!" as he rode by. He instead attacked the abomination nearby as Sir Zeliek took down the Vrykul.

Wendy's rapidash reared up with a fierce whinny and kicked its flaming hooves at the rotting foe before it. It came down to all fours again and shot a flamethrower out of its horn as its rider called upon the power of the Light, smiting the undead nidorino with holy fire.

Kroll, his wolf having been slain, fought on foot. He let out a battle shout as he swung his massive sword right through a plague eruptor. A zombie charged him from behind, but it was blown to pieces by a powerful lightning spell. The orc looked over his shoulder. William looked just as calm as ever, partially in a trance, as he always was when casting. He was in tune with the elements. Azeroth itself wanted to be rid of the sickness known as the Scourge, and the young shaman was one of its many tools in curing itself.

A dodrio let out a strangled squawk as a death knight impaled it with the spike of a halberd. The bird pokemon slumped to the ground as its trainer let out a scream of rage. The trainer charged, warhammer held high, but met his end on the same blade that killed his pokemon.

The death knight gasped and nearly fell from his mount as a beam of psychic energy struck him from afar. He turned; espeon stood ready for another attack. Next to the psychic pokemon was the warlock, Mary, cutting runes into the air.

Tirion fought a flesh giant solo. The Ashbringer gave him nearly all the power he needed to destroy the monster in the name of the Light. The giant raised a foot to crush the paladin, but the stitched horror collapsed as a powerful jet of water tipped it over and it fell to its demise. Vaporeon crouched, tense, next to her master, as Misty faced off with a night elf death knight.

Zin'ja yelled something in his native language as he rode Moh'ra into combat. The raptor roared and shrieked as it charged this way and that, causing confusion and chaos among the Scourge. A large bird flew by, and the predatory dinosaur's instincts took over as she chased it. Moh'ra's jaws clamped shut on the undead pidgeotto's wing. She shook her head from side to side, tearing the Scourge pokemon apart.

Gary was fighting on foot now, as well. He was in the middle of the Scourge forces; nowhere did he see allies who could help him. He was done for, surely! He cast a frost nova as geists closed in on him. He backed up, forgetting to glance over his shoulder. He bumped into something and spun around, and was just barely able to stop himself from reflexively throwing a fireball.

"Man, Ash, I've never been so glad to see you!"

The warrior looked over his shoulder for a moment and then turned back to the ghouls and zombies that he was holding at bay. "Yeah, no kidding! I've never been so glad to see you, either, Gary!"

The mage and the warrior stood back to back, wielding sword and sorcery against the Scourge. This could be their last stand, but if they worked as a team, they might survive.

The warrior's shoulders suddenly slumped. The color drained from his face. His voice little more than a hushed acknowledgement of defeat, he said, "Gary… they have dragons…"

The mage attacked the geists with a blast wave, then looked over his shoulder.

In the distance, from behind Icecrown Citadel, the frost wyrms could be seen in huge numbers, flying toward the army. Arthas was done playing games. His dragons would end this nuisance once and for all. Or so he thought.

Kai jumped off Corp'rethar, transforming as he fell, spreading his wings wide. He swooped up over the fighters below and flew toward a tower. Some people below screamed at the sudden appearance of a black dragon, but those who had heard the dragons of Outland would aid them began to cheer.

The Scourge were startled by his appearance. A handful of fighters below transformed and jumped into the sky, joining their fellow dragon in the sky. At least twelve black drakes had been hiding as humans without anyone knowing.

Kai gracefully landed on the tower. Spreading his wings in a wide display, he threw back his head and roared with all his heart, a powerful roar unlike any he'd ever let out before. Kai's voice could be heard for miles.

Starwisp cheered upon hearing the roar, and the cheer spread like wildfire. The dragon had struck hope into the entire army. But that was not all he'd done.

An answering roar came from far away – but on the opposite side from the frost wyrms.

Gary finally answered Ash's statement. "Yeah, they have dragons… but so do we. Look!" The warrior looked to where the mage was pointing. At first, he didn't see it, but _then… _faintly, the silhouettes of giant winged creatures appeared on the horizon. They became clearer and clearer – the Blackflight had promised, and now it delivered.

The heroes snapped back to reality; they were still fighting for their lives.

Kai swooped down to where Gary and Ash were fending off the oncoming Scourge forces. "Need a claw?" the drake asked, winking as he landed. He swung his mighty tail, throwing at least a dozen ghouls, zombies, and geists several yards away. One of the zombies crashed into the head of a flesh giant.

The monster turned away from the Argents it was fighting. It began to charge at Kai, who stepped backwards, eyes wide. Another drake swooped down from behind, throwing her full weight into her talons and digging them into the shoulders of the Scourge giant.

"This is the least I could do for you; consider it my repayment," she said, even as she was struggling to cling to the flailing monster.

"Samia!" Gary exclaimed, recognizing the voice.

Kai blasted more ghouls with his fiery breath, and turned to the warrior and mage. "Come, quickly! I'll get you back to the rest of the army!"

The two boys scrambled onto the dragon's back as he took flight and carried them back to Tirion Fordring. When he landed, Ash jumped down, but Gary did not.

"Remember what they said? I'm an aerial fighter! Kai, do you think I could ride on your back for a while?"

"Sounds like a plan, Gary. The ability to shoot fire in more than one direction is a plus."

Meanwhile, Jessie fought off skeletons and wraiths. Shadow magic whirled around her and suddenly burst out around her. Immediately afterwards, she burst into flames as the ground cracked and hellfire leapt up from below. Through the searing pain, she stood standing and called down flames from the heavens. Nothing would be left standing in her destructive wake!

The rangers fired another round of arrows into the air. Their elven skill with the bow allowed them to strike more or less with precision, even at these ridiculous lengths. Even so, some on the battlefield did fall to friendly fire. An arrow narrowly missed a nidoqueen as she fought tooth and nail with an abomination.

Misty struck down a death knight who'd fallen off his horse. The paladin spun around and slammed her shield into a geist that leapt at her from behind. She slashed through its ghoul ally with ease. She paused for a moment to wipe the blood from her face, then re-consecrated the ground and continued to rip through the undead forces around her.

"_Above you!_" Zeliek shouted. Misty looked up; a frost wyrm was diving right at her, claws outstretched. She darted out of the way, and Sir Zeliek instinctively tugged his horse's reins, and it charged straight into the path of the undead dragon. The wyrm hadn't been expecting this and wasn't able to hit the paladin the way it had intended. Even so, the talon slammed into the man, sending him flying off of his horse. He slammed into the ground and rolled several feet before skidding to a halt.

"_Zeliek!_" Misty called out.

"I'm fine! Fight on, young paladin!" The undead paladin hauled himself to his feet and whistled for the panicking horse to come back to him.

Rex impaled the plagued arbok in front of him and, with all his strength, used his spear to throw the creature into a Vrykul woman. The impact was enough to knock her down. Lorien and a dwarf rogue came out from seemingly nowhere and killed her quickly.

James looked up. The frost wyrms were circling the battlefield. One flew up from the ground, a struggling tauren shaman in its talons. A charizard shot up from the ground like an arrow, tackling the undead dragon. The shaman fell like a limp doll as the pokemon and the wyrm tried to sink their teeth into one another, clawing like raptors at each other.

A black drake dove down under the falling tauren and caught her on his back, letting her down and continuing to fight.

Something hit the ground with a thud next to Kroll. He turned. A massive black dragon, fully grown, was lunging with every weapon it had at the Scourge around it; it was like turning on a blender without a lid. Blood flew everywhere, bits of flesh were tossed in every direction.

James single-handedly took down a large abomination. It fell, and the death knight continued his rampage without skipping a beat. He heard screams to the left. Killing the zombie he was facing, he turned to look. An undead rhydon was tearing through Argent forces, completely ignoring the judgements the paladins were unleashing upon it. A slain priest was still stuck to the creature's horn. James rushed into the attack. He raised his sword to kill the pokemon but it turned and slammed its horn into him. It wasn't able to dig very far, because the priest's body blocked the majority of the horn's length. It threw the death knight into the air, and he came down on top of a Scourge death knight, knocking the troll out of his saddle. James, recovering from the impact, managed to kill the other death knight, and leapt out of the way as the furious Scourge pokemon charged.

A shadow passed over the warlock as she fought. A dark creature snatched up the valkyr she was fighting and moments later it swooped down and landed in front of her. It was a dragon, certainly, but didn't look anything like Kai. It looked more like a shark than a lizard. "Are you Jessie?"

"Yes..?"

"Climb on. I'm Onyxien; Kai told me you were an aerial fighter."

Meowth overheard this and darted under the legs of the zombie he was battling. It tripped and fell, and the pokemon could bury his dagger in its skull before rushing over. "Hey, wait for me!" He jumped onto the dragon's flank and readied his bow and arrows.

A black dragon and a frost wyrm spiraled down near the nether drake, crashing into the ground and killing several Scourge soldiers and a handful of orcs with the impact. The black wyrm picked itself up and shook itself before taking flight again.

Kai saw a frost wyrm approaching him from above. "Hold on tight!" he instructed Gary. Before the mage had a chance to ask why, the drake simply folded his wings tight against his body and tucked his limbs close to his body, allowing himself to drop like a rock, nose first. The frost wyrm couldn't catch up, and Kai suddenly opened his wings, stopping very quickly. The Scourge dragon flew right past him, and then he continued to fly. Now Kai was in pursuit of the greater dragon!

The mage threw fireball after fireball as he chased after the undead dragon. The frost wyrm came to the mountains at the edge of the valley and banked sharply to the right, but Kai wasn't fazed in the slightest. As a drake, he was more agile than an adult, and easily gained on the wyrm. Kai opened his mouth and shot flames at his opponent. Gary backed the attack up with an ice lance. Together, the two killed the wyrm mid-air.

Only a quarter of the Scourge forces remained. The Argent Army was taking serious casualties, but they now outnumbered the undead at least two to one, possibly more.

Sylvanas used her bladed bow to slay a blood elf death knight. She jumped up onto the corpse and reached for an arrow. Nearby, one of her people – a forsaken warlock – was about to be killed by a plague eruptor. Leaping from her perch, Lady Sylvanas fired the arrow into the eruptor's eye. Landing on her feet and smoothly transitioning into a run, she swung the bow through a zombie's face.

Anando took on three death knights at once. Having killed their horses, he could fight them from his mount while they attacked on foot. Two of them went down, but the third had his runeblade aimed and was about to lunge. There was no way the high elf could move to defend himself in time to avoid his death.

A blast of arcane light sent his attacker flying. "Leave Papa alone, undead scum!"

"Zaraia!" The death knight's tone was relieved, proud, and scolding all at once.

An arrow went straight through a gargoyle's chest, and continued its path up into the mouth of a frost drake. The drake screamed and swerved.

Onyxien agilely banked to the right, flying directly by the undead drake, giving Jessie a clear shot to throw a shadowbolt. She hit her mark, and the Scourge dragon tumbled out of the sky.

Ash fought a crypt fiend, lost in his blood frenzy. The nerubian took a sword to the face and collapsed. The warrior darted over the corpse and straight back into combat with a Vrykul. A small arrow hit the Vrykul in the face and Ash glanced up. Meowth, riding on the flank of the nether drake, pulled another arrow from his quiver and aimed at a new target.

Jaina threw a frostfire bolt straight through a pair of valkyr. King Varian let out another battle shout and charged into combat with a plague eruptor.

Thrall swung his axe through four ghouls in one fluid motion. He called on the elements to aid him in combat. The lightning jumped from target to target, bringing down a whole pack of geists.

Kai dove close to the ground, opening his jaws and lighting the army below on fire. Gary called down an icy wind to freeze the burning Scourge. Rapid heating and cooling cracked the skeletons where they stood.

The Black Dragonflight and the frost wyrms still clashed in the sky.

An alakazam sent a psychic shockwave through the plague eruptors nearby. The weakened undead were taken out by a dragon's fire breath.

Tirion focused the Light onto a flesh giant. It managed to survive the attack, if only barely. It lifted its great hand, ready to squash the Highlord. Ash's pikachu took a running jump, landed on Fordring's shoulder, and let out a massive thunderbolt. Tirion turned and ran as the flesh giant tipped and collapsed.

The Scourge forces were so depleted now that the Argent Army could surround them entirely. A black dragoness flew up in front of a frost wyrm and hung for a moment in the air as she let the undead dragon throw itself into her claws, and then they tumbled to the ground. They slammed into Icecrown Glacier with such force that they left a crater. Both dragons were killed by the impact.

Gary looked around from his place on Kai's back, high in the air. There were corpses all over the battlefield. The smell of blood and steel was overpowering, and even at this altitude, he could hear blades and armor clashing. He threw a pyroblast down at the last remaining flesh giant.

On the ground, Ash was fighting with all his strength against a Vrykul man and woman. Arcane missiles flew into them from behind the warrior, from both sides. Zaraia and Vaku stood behind him, backing him up.

One of the few mounted soldiers left charged past them. He was a mage of Dalaran. The man threw an ice lance at a ghoul, killing it. Another ghoul jumped at him, missed, and flew right into the path of the purple-haired death knight. James cut it cleanly in half without stopping his charge.

Another rain of arrows took down a large chunk of the remaining Scourge.

The scyther that had aided in the initial assault of Aldurthar jumped over a fallen Crusader, blades swinging as it ran at top speed into a nerubian.

Misty ran into the very center of the small Scourge force and consecrated the ground. Zombies flailed wildly and collapsed around her. Then she held the sword straight up, as Holy Light emanated from it. The Light leapt out and shocked all the undead around her. The few that survived were picked off with arrows, swords, and spells.

The black dragons landed around the forces. The Argent Army as a whole began to cheer. The victory had come at a great cost in lives, but saved many more than had been lost. The battle for Icecrown had been won. Now only the final step remained.


	68. Storming the Castle

Tirion Fordring stood in front of the Citadel, addressing the Army. "We have all done our world a great service today. This is a battle that will shape the events of the future. However, we cannot all be a part of the final step. As the greatest of Azeroth's soldiers were selected for this Army, the greatest from among you – quite literally the greatest of the great – are to form the concentrated striking force necessary for the raid on Icecrown Citadel.

Lady Sylvanas, Lady Jaina, Sir Zeliek, and I have discussed at great length who these elite few should be, and how many of them should be chosen. We have decided to take with us twenty-five of the very best: twelve of the Horde, twelve of the Alliance, and one neutral. After much debating, we have made our decision."

The crowds listened eagerly as Tirion pulled a list out of the storage plane and read it aloud.

"For the Alliance, we have chosen: Selma Anvilguard, Rosa Baker, Tomas Carlton, Gaznick Geartrapper, Iridi, Ash Ketchum, James Morgan, Gary Oak, Misty Waterflower, Victoria West, Jessie Wilkes, and Starwisp Windsong.

For the Horde, we have decided upon: Atal'shi, Kroll Ghoulripper, Wendy Harris, Anando Pentalon, Zaraia Pentalon, William Roberts, Lorien Shadowgrave, Rex Smith, Rocman Spiritwalker, Vaku Stormcaller, Mary Walker, and Zin'ja.

Our neutral raider is Kai of the Blackflight.

Congratulations to those twenty-five; you have all survived the battle, as expected, and proven yourselves to be among the very best Azeroth has to offer. You will be the heroes remembered throughout time as the raiders of Icecrown. Even should you die today, your names will be remembered. Take the next ten minutes to prepare. Then, we will begin our attack."

Slowly, the crowd began to cheer for its champions. The Twenty-Five had been chosen.

XXX

Taking a deep breath, the heroes entered. In addition to the raiders of Naxxramas – Zeliek had ensured that all of them got in, as he knew their power firsthand – there were a handful of people the heroes had never quested alongside before, some known, and others complete strangers. The new people were Atal'shi, a troll huntress with a wind serpent, Gaznick the gnome rogue, Selma the dwarf priestess, and Iridi, an elegant draenei shaman. Also, there were three trainers the raiders had never seen before. Rosa was a druid with a powerful and battle-scarred snorlax. Tomas was a priest with a ninetales, and Victoria was a warrior with a dragonair. With twenty-five heroes of war and four powerful leaders, it seemed there might actually be hope of victory.

"Our first target is the Forge of Souls," Jaina said.

"Ever wondered what the Lich King does with all the souls he steals?" Sylvanas asked. Before anyone could answer, she continued, "They go into the Forge of Souls and – well, after that, even I'm not quite sure. This is new technology, and I'm certain it can't be good, though I'm not certain exactly what a Soul Grinder does…"

"Well," Sir Zeliek replied, trying to keep morale up, "I'd assume it grinds souls."

Sylvanas just glared at him. The forced smile vanished from his face. No use trying to joke around here.

"Go in, dismantle machines, kill Scourge; got it," Gary said, "Who needs to know what they're for? It won't matter after we've destroyed them."

The raiders fought their way into the Forge. They were not prepared for the sights before them. As they reached the end of the ridge, they looked around. The next part of the road was a metal grillwork with no rails, hanging by chains over a great pit. In this pit there were many deep wells from which dull, fire-like plasma rose. Along the hanging path, there were a couple small, almost conical buildings. The air was full of what were presumably lost souls – purple skulls trailing gasses behind them, like dark wisps.

Victoria's dragonair let out a whine. Her trainer looked up and squinted, looking slightly perplexed. She then pointed her sword at one of the 'souls'.

"There's a gastly up there."

"Just what we needed," Jessie muttered, "more Scourge-controlled pokemon."

Misty holy shocked it out of the air. "Not anymore."

A skeleton let out a raspy cry and rushed toward the invaders, but Gary's absol reacted quickly and jumped at it, pushing it off the platform. A pair of ghouls wandered around from behind the conical room. Sylvanas whipped an arrow out of her quiver and shot one of them. Anando cast a frost spell at the other. It rushed forward but Zaraia threw an ice lance at it. The heroes marched into the room of Bronjahm.

"More souls… to power the engines!"

Ash, as usual, was the first into combat. The Godfather of Souls swung his weapon in a circular motion. The warrior stepped back, and since Bronjahm refused to move, Ash got hit quite hard with a shadowbolt. Deciding the sword was less dangerous, he stepped back in.

"Melee stand back!" Rex ordered, "Casters and archers form a ring!"

Selma and Wendy began smiting their target with scimitars of Light and holy flames, while the third priest took a different approach – he shredded Bronjahm's mind with dark powers. Mary and Jessie backed him with their own shadow spells. Zaraia, Vaku, and Gary stood in a triangle formation around the man in the center of the room, casting arcane, frost, and fire spells respectively, while Jaina used all three types. Rosa stayed in human form to throw wrath spells while Roc changed into a moonkin to call down moonfire. Iridi and William summoned their totems and set about throwing lightning and lava. Rex, Misty, Tirion, and Sir Zeliek joined the priests in unleashing the fury of the Light. The archers did their best with arrows.

The usage of these ranged attacks was precisely what Bronjahm wanted. He threw back his head and laughed. "The vortex of the harvested calls to you!"

The soul-wisps outside began to scream and shriek. They swirled around the room, some pouring in through the doors and swirling on the inside! A thousand skulls opened their rotten maws and howled like a horrible wind as they rushed in circles around the raiders. The heroes rushed to the center, crowding around Bronjahm to avoid being caught up in the terrible storm.

He raised his weapon and lunged at James, but the death knight was quick enough to disarm him. The Godfather of Souls let out a _sound_, unnatural and frightening. It struck horror into the hearts of those around him, and rightfully so – it was not a sound any human should be able to produce.

Selma and Iridi turned and began to run.

"_No! Stand together!_" Gary shouted at them.

"_If you scatter, they'll pick us off one by one!_" Sylvanas added.

Some of the raiders were recovering from the chaos. Focusing back onto destroying their target, it took mere minutes to kill Bronjahm. His tactics had done little more than stall. The vortex faded.

Gaznick lit some bombs and threw them toward the areas that appeared to be part of the machines' engines, dismantling the Soul Grinders.

Walking in a block-like formation (the spaces available were too small for them to walk spread out), the heroes plowed through the Forge of Souls. The area was not well-defended. Only small, weak forces were stationed there, and twenty-nine raiders with pets were easily able to shred the Scourge on their way through.

Tirion led them into a hallway, and at the end, they saw a _thing_ for which they had no word. A large stone being with three faces and glowing eyes floated before them.

"_**You dare look upon the host of souls? I shall devour you whole!**_" it screamed with three voices.

"I'm gonna need some help with this one," Ash called out, "Anyone willing to help me be the party meatshield?"

Gary couldn't stop himself from laughing, even under the serious circumstances. "Misty, Tirion, Wendy, do you think you can handle the healing?" he said, through his laughter.

James and Rex ran over to help Ash. They'd done this before. Victoria also decided to help.

Rosa threw a pokeball as she shifted into cat form. "Snorlax, hold the thing back!"

"Excellent!" James said, grinning, "A snorlax! What better pokemon to play the role of the wall?"

The Devourer of Souls began blasting them with shadow energy, and it was all James, Rex, Ash, Victoria, and the snorlax could do to defend the rest of the team.

"Rogues, Rosa, Kroll," Anando commanded, "with me!" The death knight led the charge into melee. The warlocks sent their succubus and felhound in, and the hunters commanded their pets to attack.

"Absol, attack!"

The mages and warlocks formed a line toward the edge of the room, and began a constant stream of fire, ice, shadow, and arcane magic.

"Archers, over here!" Sylvanas ordered, and Starwisp, Zin'ja, Atal'shi, and Meowth rushed to her side, already pulling arrows from their quivers.

Everyone else was scattered randomly, casting spells. The pokemon that had not yet been assigned to a role unleashed their power.

The Devourer of Souls suddenly jumped over to Tomas. The shadow priest fled, and the monster missed him by mere inches. It floated back up to its original height, leaving a massive rift where it had landed. The ninetales rushed over to aid its master, unleashing flames upon the Devourer, as Tomas backed away, throwing shadow spells.

Zaraia cast an arcane barrage at the monster. Ash, James, Rex, and Victoria rushed to their new position in front of the thing, and began slashing and stabbing at it once more as it continued to attack with shadow blasts. Gaznick managed to climb onto the Devourer of Souls, and began hacking away with his daggers. The monster shook around wildly, eventually jumping at the archers. They scattered as the thing landed, throwing the gnome off.

"Suffering! Anguish! Chaos! Rise and feed!" the monster howled, and a few dozen souls rose from the ground. Anando tried to attack with his runeblade, but the sword went right through them. Zeliek tried to fend them off by casting a holy shock, but it, too, passed right through them. Gary threw a fireball, but that didn't work either.

"They can't be harmed!"

The souls screamed and moaned, slashing at the heroes. They could hurt the invaders, but the raiders couldn't hurt them.

"Ignore them," Tirion said, "It's all we can do!"

The archers regrouped and began attacking again. They didn't have long, because the Devourer jumped _again_, this time to the healers. They regrouped at the other end of the room, but the monster didn't stay still; it returned to the center of the room.

It focused on Starwisp. In a cloud of smoke, it vanished! Where it had been, a strange night elf now stood. It looked like Starwisp, but was twisted and corrupted, made of shadows with glowing purple flames where the eyes should have been. Ash stabbed at its stomach with one of his swords and immediately ripped the weapon out. As he did, the thing screamed – and so did Starwisp! They both doubled over, clutching their stomachs. Blood seeped from between the real Starwisp's fingers!

"_Stop attacking!_" Zin'ja cried out, realizing what was going on, "_It be mirrorin' her!_"

Instead, the heros moved around, trying to get away from the still-attacking souls. They were slowly dissipating. The dark Starwisp didn't just stand around, though. She stabbed at Rex with her shadowy daggers, while he was powerless to do anything against her. The raiders continued to simply flee.

The dark elf vanished and the Devourer returned. The spirits had dissipated. Kai blasted the monster with dragon fire. Roc unleashed the fury of a moonkin's starfire, dealing a critical blow to the Devourer of Souls. It reached a breaking point.

"Stare into the abyss and see your end!" it screamed, staring at him. It opened its mouths, all three of them. Those who were standing in front of the mouths ran out of the way, some of them only to have to switch directions when the beams of purple light shot out and the Devourer began to rotate. The entire group started moving in a circle, avoiding the beams. As they did, they continued to attack as best they could. The paladins cast judgements, the mages threw fire blasts and ice lances, the hunters continued to shoot.

The Devourer of Souls collapsed. "The swell of souls will not be abated! You only delay the inevitable…!"

"Excellent work, champions!" Tirion praised the group.

"We will set up a base camp here for the Argent Army waiting outside," Sylvanas said, "They'll be able to prevent the Scourge from retaking the Forge while you're raiding the other parts of the Citadel. After each section is taken, some of the forces will fill in after you to make sure we keep our hold on this place. They can hold the ground but it's far too dangerous to send such a large force into the undead stronghold to actually conquer – that's up to us."

"My mages will get the Scourge transport device working shortly. We'll be able to use that to take the next part of Icecrown Citadel," Jaina said.

James just grinned. _This could be somewhat easier than I expected. We're coming to get you, Arthas, and there's nowhere you can run!_


	69. This is the Pits

_Author's Note: Yes, Garfrost's death line really is taken directly from the game. I swear I am not making this up. I couldn't make it up if I tried._

XXX

The heroes entered a great quarry, weapons at the ready. James knelt down and picked up a small piece of metal ore. "Saronite."

Wings flapped overhead. "Intruders have entered the master's domain… Sound the alarms!" a man riding on a skeletal charizard shouted, "Minions, destroy them…"

Several skeletons rushed the group. The paladins ran forward and consecrated the ground while the mages and warlocks called down a rain of ice and fire. The skeletons fell quickly.

Sylvanas looked around. "We must free any slaves we come across; we'll need their help."

"Let us continue," Highlord Fordring said, already marching onward. The heroes followed in a loose group.

"I will scout ahead," Roc offered. Tirion nodded at him and he took the form of a bird and soared away.

"There," Misty said, pointing her sword at a small group of laborers being watched by a necromancer and his minions. Victoria charged first, chopping one of the skeletons in half. Her dragonair wrapped itself around the necromancer's throat.

Rosa decided now was a good time to let her snorlax shine. "Crush them!" she ordered, and it did – the massive creature was able to clear most of the skeletons just by trampling them. Anando, meanwhile, rushed over to the slaves and shattered the chains that bound them with frost magic.

Meanwhile, a second group of slaves was being freed by some others in the group. Rex consecrated the ground while James cast a strangulate spell on the necromancer. Kai, in his dragon form, shattered skeletons with his powerful jaws.

Roc returned with news, and was able to lead the group to the rest of the slaves. "There's a flesh giant ahead," the druid warned, "and he probably has frost magic, if his looks are anything to go by. I suggest putting up any spells to reduce the impact of his attacks."

The heroes prepared, and continued to rescue slaves on the way through.

XXX

"Tiny creatures under feet, y-you bring Garfrost something g-good to eat!"

The ground shook as the giant charged at the heroes. They split without words into their standard groupings. Though they were prepared for ice-based attacks, Garfrost had a trick or two up his sleeve. He was constantly shifting from one foot to the other, hardly picking his feet up, but he was large and powerful enough that every time he set his foot down, frost picked up off the ground like dust in an abandoned building and flew outward. The giant's magic amplified this, chilling the frost to a point far beyond the natural norm. As such, just being near him was painful.

The skeletal smiths came to the giant's aid, and the spellcasters formed a circle of falling flames and ice around themselves to tear the oncoming undead down. They did not take long to fall.

Meanwhile, Garfrost slammed his axe down at the designated distractions. They scattered and fled.

"Guys," Ash called out, "this isn't gonna work!"

"No problem!" Kai answered, taking to the sky. The drake flew over to the giant and spat flames at him. Garfrost responded by swinging his axe at the dragon, but he was too quick; Kai agilely dove down below the weapon and continued to attack. The angry flesh giant continued to try to hit the black drake, in vain. Kai danced through the air like it was nothing.

With the giant distracted, the raiders could approach Garfrost and attack him in melee, though most stayed behind to attack at range. The healers kept themselves busy trying to keep everyone alive through the draining frost.

A piercing shriek echoed off the walls. Kai teetered in the air, trying to fly despite the massive injury he'd just taken. His hind leg hung limp. Blood spattered on the ground below, staining the snow crimson. Tirion and Misty worked together to heal the wound. Kai's streak of good luck had run out. He'd been thrown off long enough that he would be taking injuries throughout the fight. The healers stood back to make sure he stayed aloft – if he went down, they all would.

Garfrost was irritated at the paladins undoing his work, and responded by picking up a large chunk of saronite and throwing it at them. The group of healers scattered. The giant reached out and grabbed the dragon's tail. Kai cried out and blasted his attacker with fire. Garfrost simply let go instead of throwing the dragon, but the grip had done considerable damage. With his tail broken, the drake would be very awkward in the air, unable to steer very well. The giant tried to hit him with the axe again, and this time there was no way he could dodge it. The healers were still trying to recover from the boulder that had been thrown at them, still trying to get back into position. Zeliek stopped attacking the giant and switched to healing the dragon. Able to move his tail once more, Kai was able to avoid the brunt of the attack, but not without getting his wing torn. Rex healed that injury – it was clear the healers would have their hands full keeping the drake in good condition while avoiding the stones being thrown at them.

"Hmm… Axe t-too weak! G-Garfrost make better a-and _crush you!_" He jumped, and the landing impact was enough to put out a shockwave that knocked the heroes off their feet. The blast of frost from the ground threw Kai into a loop and he began trying to stabilize himself. The giant ran to a cold forge to finish a sword he'd been working on. The heroes ran and hid behind the blocks of saronite to get a brief break from the unrelenting blasts of cold. Tirion, Misty, Zeliek, Rex, Wendy, and Selma rushed to heal everyone before the giant returned. They barely had enough time; as soon as they were done, Garfrost was back in action, attacking the dragon again. Kai dodged the first attack, but did not expect to be blasted with ice. It hit him quite hard, knocking him backwards. The healers were casting nonstop to keep him fighting.

Fire, shadow, and arcane magic streamed up through the air, striking Garfrost from all sides as the mages and warlocks attacked. They were using everything they had to keep their mana up through the fight. The ninetales, charmeleon, dragonair, and rapidash added their own fire as the other pokemon attacked with lightning, water, and psychic energy. The melee fighters tried to stay near the giant, but getting in to attack was difficult with the constant blasts of frost. From a distance, the shamans channeled the elements and the hunters unleashed a constant stream of arrows. The hunters' pets did their best to help and the warlocks' minions bravely fought to bring down the giant. Everyone was giving it all they had.

Garfrost again knocked them all down with a shockwave, this time running to get a mace. "Garfrost t-tired of puny mortals; n-now your bones will f-freeze!"

Again, the heroes hid behind the boulders to recover. The chill was becoming unbearable.

"This is getting too intense for the healers," Wendy shouted, "if we can cast area spells, it'll be more efficient!"

Sylvanas put her bow over her back and unsheathed her sword. Brandishing it high, she ran out from behind the saronite boulder and shouted "Follow me! Everyone to the giant's feet! Gather close to allow the healers to concentrate their efforts and let the melee fighters to the front! Go!"

The other raiders followed the Banshee Queen's command. Garfrost had just picked up the weapon when Kai was already tearing at him with his claws. The flesh giant began swinging the mace at him. He cast a frost spell at Vaku. The mage winced as the pain began to creep up on him. He put up a mana shield spell just after calling out for healing. The delayed damage of the attack hurt deeply, but Rex was able to help him survive it.

Tomas blasted his enemy with dark magic. Zin'ja embedded an arcane arrow in the giant's neck. Zaraia unleashed an arcane barrage. Jaina cast a frostfire bolt. Finally, Garfrost collapsed.

"Garfrost h-hope giant underpants clean. Save b-boss great shame. For later…"

The heroes were silent for a moment. Then, the entire group burst into hysterical laughter.

"What the hell…?" James wondered aloud. Even _he_ was laughing.

Mary was doubled over with laughter. "Ahhaha! I'm sorry, Arthas, but my ability to take you and your army seriously just vanished!"

Through the uproar, they were hardly able to hear Tyrannus. "Another shall take his place. You waste your time."

Honestly, they didn't care. They were laughing too hard.

Ash managed to catch his breath after the laughter died down, and commented, "Ahh, comic relief. We really did need that."

XXX

"Our work must not be interrupted!" the gnome shrieked, "Ick! Take care of them!" The plague burster the undead gnome sat upon charged at the heroes, while its rider threw balls of poison at them.

The raiders ran around, avoiding the poison on the ground. Ash, James, and the snorlax were able to hold the plague eruptor's attention and keep him away from the other members of the party – most of the time.

Krick noticed the mages – Gary, in particular, seemed quite dangerous. "No, that one! _That one, fool!_ Go get him!" The gnome tugged on the plague eruptor's thick flesh, pointing wildly at the fire mage. Ick groaned and started chasing after the mage.

"Uh oh!" Gary blinked away and began running for his life. The others just continued to attack the plague eruptor while the mage ran around frantically.

Krick, at that point, noticed that some of the heroes were close together. "Hurry, poison them all while they're still close!" The eruptor lumbered over and created a plague cloud, but by that time almost everyone was out of range, and those that weren't were healed through it and had the poison removed by the paladins. Ick then began attacking James, who continued to lead him all over the place, to avoid the poison the gnome kept throwing.

A holy shock nearly knocked Krick off the eruptor's back. He grumbled but shrugged it off. After a second attack, he turned to look at the attacker – Zeliek had made an obvious target of himself.

Krick tugged at his mount and pointed at the undead paladin. "Why are you attacking him? The dangerous one is over there, fool!"

"Oh dear," the paladin muttered. He began running, the plague eruptor in close pursuit. The rest of the raiders continued to attack until finally Krick grew tired of chasing the heroes.

"Enough running around! Hold still while I blow them all up!" The gnome began to create little balls of arcane energy under each of the heroes. They all began to move away, but new energy balls formed at their feet anyway.

"Keep moving!" Tirion shouted, "Everyone run clockwise!"

"It seems a lot of the things we do involve running in circles," Starwisp commented, shooting at Ick as she ran. Eventually, the plague eruptor collapsed.

Jaina and Sylvanas approached Krick.

"_Don't kill me, please! I'll tell you everything!_"

"I'm not so naïve as to believe your appeal for clemency, but…" Jaina began.

Sylvanas cut to the point, "Tell us why we should spare your miserable life."

"W-what you seek is in the master's lair, but you must defeat Tyrannus to gain entry! Within the Halls of Reflection you will find Frostmourne! It… It holds the truth!"

"Frostmourne is unguarded?" several of the raiders exclaimed.

"If you are lying to us…!" Sylvanas didn't bother to finish the threat.

"I swear it is true! Please don't kill me!"

Wings flapped behind them. The heroes turned – the skeletal charizard hovered above them once more. Its rider pointed at the gnome. "Worthless gnat. Death is all that awaits you!"

"Urk- no!" The gnome floated off the ground and clutched at his throat for a moment before going limp.

The charizard snorted, the blue flames in its body flaring up for a moment. Tyrannus challenged the invaders, "Do not think that I shall permit you entry into my master's sanctum so easily. Pursue me if you dare." The skeletal pokemon flapped its wings and roared, then flew away.

"A fitting end for a traitor," Sylvanas snorted.

"Come on," Misty said, "the gnome might have been telling the truth – if he was, we might be able to separate Arthas from Frostmourne-"

"- and have a chance at stopping him," Jaina finished the sentence.

"Then let's go," Anando stated. The heroes headed toward a ramp.

An army of undead rushed out of the cave at the top to meet them. "Your pursuit shall be in vain, adventurers, for the Lich King has placed an army at my command! Behold! You will _not_ reach the entrance of my Lord's lair! Soldiers, destroy them!"

"They can't spread out," Roc observed, "area spells should take them down quickly!" He began to call down a rain of stars. The other druid called lightning from the sky, as the mages and warlocks added ice and fire to the mix. The paladins rushed forward and created a barrier of consecrated ground that the undead would have to cross if they were to get past the falling magic. None of them did, and the heroes marched on. As they entered the tunnel, skeletal vrykul tried to hold them back.

"Rimefang! Trap them in the tunnel! _Bury them alive!_" Something thudded against the roof, once, twice, again and again. The undead charizard was using its own weight to try to cause the cave to collapse!

Kroll caught a glimpse of a reinforced area in the middle of the tunnel. "Run through; we'll destroy the undead when we reach that chamber! Quickly!" The orc charged, and the others followed. Completely ignoring the undead, they rushed through the tunnel as chunks of ice and stone fell near them. The mages occasionally blinked past falling rocks and the others had to dart this way and that, but they reached the central chamber relatively unharmed. Immediately the casters began the same area spells as before, mowing down the undead while the fighters kept them away from the more fragile members of the team. Once they were down, the heroes took off again. Astoundingly, they reached the end of the tunnel. Again, they turned to destroy the oncoming undead.

"Heroes!" a voice called – the man named Martin Victus was leading the slaves through the tunnel, but with more undead behind them! Rimefang roared and landed in front of the invaders. The adventurers looked over their shoulders.

"Alas, brave, brave adventurers, your meddling has reached its end. Do you hear the clatter of bone and steel coming up the tunnel behind you? That is the sound of your impending demise," Tyrannus said, getting off the skeletal charizard's back.

"We will hold off the undead as long as we can," Martin said, reaching the end of the tunnel and turning around, "even to our dying breaths! Deal with the Scourgelord, hurry!"

"Such an amusing gesture from the rabble. When I have finished with you, my master's blade will feast upon your souls. Die."

The charizard took off and circled overhead. The Scourgelord approached the heroes. Ash was the first into combat. Tyrannus swung his axe at the warrior, who blocked the axe, slowing it and taking a far less grievous wound than he would have otherwise. The healers focused their attention on him – they needed to. Tyrannus was able to force his way through the warrior's defenses, inflicting horrible wounds. Yet, Ash fought on.

Rimefang blasted the ground randomly with blue fire. The flames lingered on the ground and had to be avoided, as Atal'shi discovered – she stepped into them by mistake and found that they were so magically cold, they burned, and they slowed her movements. She learned quickly to watch where she was going.

Jessie threw a shadowbolt at the Scourgelord, and Tyrannus pointed to her. "Rimefang! Destroy this fool!"

The warlock looked up at the skeletal pokemon, already gathering blue fire in its jaws. She ran away, but was unable to escape the blast. Wendy healed her through it.

A dark shadow swirled around Lorien. The rogue decided to back away. She sensed there was some form of connection, similar to the fight with the Devourer. She was correct – had she continued, the wounds would have been redirected to Ash.

The slaves had been pushed back from the exit of the cave. They were winning, but they were still being pushed into the open.

Eventually, the dark magic vanished and instead swirled around Tyrannus. "Power _overwhelming_…!" His axe slammed into the warrior with such force that Ash flew backwards several feet. The healers began frantically casting healing spells. James stepped in and took over for Ash.

"Hey! Over here!" The death knight kept lunging at the Scourgelord but continually backed away. He turned and ran, and just as he'd expected, the charizard tried to hit him with cold fire. He outran the blast, putting the flames between him and Tyrannus, then turned and continued to taunt the man. Tyrannus stepped right into the blue fire, slowing down considerably. Gaznick darted out behind James and took a chance at throwing his dagger. Remarkably, he got it into the opening at the front of the Scourgelord's helmet. The Scourgelord collapsed.

"Impossible! Rimefang… _warn…_"

The undead army had been defeated. The freed slaves cheered.

"Brave champions, we owe you our lives, our freedom... Though it be a tiny gesture in the face of this enormous debt, I pledge that from this day forth, all will know of your deeds, and the blazing path of light you cut through the shadow of this dark citadel," Martin said, "This day will stand as a testament not only to your valor, but to the fact that no foe, not even the Lich King himself, can stand when Alliance and Horde set aside their differences and-"

"_**Heroes, to me!**_" Jaina suddenly screamed. She grabbed as many of the nearby raiders as she could and teleported to the cave. Gary, Vaku, and Zaraia also took the others by the wrists and blinked away. A few of the slaves who were mages followed the example and took the last few raiders with them as they blinked into the cavern. Most of the freed slaves were not so lucky. Misty, Rex, and Zeliek were left outside the cave, as well!

They turned to see what had caused Jaina to react in such a way – the giant frost wyrm: _Sindragosa._ The dragoness unleashed her wrath, washing the area over with her frost breath.

"_Misty!_" Gary cried out.

"Rex?" the horde adventurers called out to their friend.

"Zeliek, are you alright, friend?" Tirion shouted.

The ice cleared as Sindragosa flew away. Corpses were strewn about, frozen to the bone… and three shining bubbles of light stood on the battlefield. The paladins inside were unharmed, but clearly shaken.

The bubbles faded, while the paladins recovered from the shock. Rex suddenly laughed. "Whew, _adrenaline rush! Yeah!_" The grin vanished from his face as he looked around at the devastation.

"I… I could not save them," Jaina said, "Damn you Arthas! _Damn you!_"

"The Frost Queen is gone," Tirion said, "We must continue."

"Our objective is near," Sylvanas said, "I can sense it!"

"Let us rest here for a moment while I send someone back to the Airships," Zeliek suggested, "We'll need all the backup we can get."

One of the mages who'd escaped Sindragosa's wrath offered to go. Jaina, Tirion, and Sylvanas nodded.

At last, Frostmourne was close.


	70. Frostmourne Hungers

The heroes quietly entered the Halls of Reflection. "Even if the Lich King isn't here," Gary said, "I doubt he'd leave Frostmourne unguarded…"

"There, up ahead… Is that it?" Jessie asked. She pointed to something floating in a column of cold blue light, atop a platform in the large chamber.

"I'd recognize that blade anywhere," James answered, "Yes, that is Frostmourne…"

Jaina led the heroes toward the weapon. "Frostmourne, the blade that destroyed our kingdom…" She turned to the raiders. "_Stand back!_ Touch that blade and your soul will be scarred for all eternity! I must attempt to commune with the spirits locked away within Frostmourne. Give me space. Back up, please." The mage began channeling a spell on the sword. A figure materialized before them, foggy and unrecognizable at first.

"_Jaina… is that you?_" the figure asked.

"_Uther!_" Zeliek cried out in hushed shock. He'd never expected to see his leader again.

"Uther, dear Uther! I'm so sorry!" Jaina said.

Ash looked at Misty, wanting an explanation. She was staring in awe at the man. "Uther the Lightbringer… The first paladin," she whispered.

"_The Lich King sees what the sword sees! He will be here shortly_," Uther told them, urgently, "_You must hurry; you haven't much time!_"

Jaina faltered for a moment. "Arthas is here? Maybe I..."

The Lightbringer shook his head. "_No, girl. Arthas is not here. Arthas is merely a presence within the Lich King's mind. A dwindling presence…_"

"But Uther, if there's any hope of reaching Arthas, I-"

"_Jaina, listen to me. You must destroy the Lich King. You cannot reason with him. He will kill you and your allies and raise you all as powerful soldiers of the Scourge!_"

The sorceress weakened, filled with grief. "Tell me how, Uther? How do I destroy my prince? My..."

"Jaina," Zeliek said gently, "you have to let go…"

"_You must destroy the Lich King at the place where he merged with Ner'zhul - atop the spire, at the Frozen Throne. It is the only way_," the paladin told them.

"You're right… Forgive me. I... I don't know what got a hold of me. We will deliver this information to the King and the knights that battle the Scourge within Icecrown Citadel, and act upon it accordingly."

"_There is... something else that you should know about the Lich King. Control over the Scourge must never be lost. Even if you were to strike down the Lich King, another would have to take his place. For without the control of its master, the Scourge would run rampant across the world - destroying all living things. Some would go the way of the Forsaken, but many more would go feral… A grand sacrifice by a noble soul must be made..._"

"Who could bear such a burden?" Sylvanas wondered aloud. A sense of unease washed through the heroes. Gary looked at Misty, then at Zeliek, then James, then Tirion, and finally at the ground. Would one of them have to make the sacrifice?

Uther shook his head. "_I do not know. I suspect that the piece of Arthas that might be left inside the Lich King is all that holds the Scourge from annihilating Azeroth_. "

"Then maybe there is still hope..." Jaina said.

"You cannot let your old love control you, Jaina," Tirion said.

Jaina sighed and looked down. Gary, getting a sense of what was going on, patted the other mage's arm in an attempt to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Jaina… What must be done, must be done."

Then, the doors flew open. The Lich King's footsteps echoed through the room as he approached the heroes.

Uther spun around, wide-eyed. "_He... He is here! You... You must..._"

"_**Silence, paladin!**_" the Lich King shouted. Uther's spirit blew away like smoke and returned to the sword. "_So… you wish to commune with the dead? You shall have your wish…_ _Falric. Marwyn. Bring their corpses to my chamber when you are through._"

A pair of death knights came out of seemingly nowhere – had they been there all along, or had they just arrived? It did not matter. "As you wish, my Lord," they said, in unison.

Falric called upon the corrupted spirits to aid him. "Soldiers of Lordaeron, rise to meet your master's call!"

Jaina shouted as she ran after the Lich King. "You won't deny me this, Arthas! I must know!"

"You cannot escape! I will have my vengeance!" Sylvanas added, also chasing after him.

"Sylvanas, Jaina!" Roc shouted after them. It was too late – the door slammed shut behind them.

The battle began as two armored ghosts and a spectral rogue charged into the group. Wendy struck one with a column of holy fire. The paladins consecrated the ground, and the attackers quickly fell as a new wave came – another pair of footmen, another rogue, and a dwarven rifleman. They too, fell. More and more came, rogues, sorceresses, footmen, riflemen, and elven priests. All fell to the concentrated attack force.

Falric stepped in. "Men, women and children... None were spared the master's wrath. Your deaths will be no different."

Ash took his usual place – same as he had for… how long had it been? How long had they been in Azeroth? Days, weeks, time had blurred together into one long adventure.

The rest of the heroes began casting their spells or attacking the Captain.

XXX

The heroes forced the door open and rushed through. Jaina and Sylvanas were both fighting against the Lich King, losing the battle.

"_I will not make the same mistake again, Sylvanas… This time, there will be no esca-_" He heard the heroes enter, and looked over his shoulder. "_Your allies have arrived, Jaina, just as you promised… You will all become powerful agents of the Scourge._"

The sorceress seemed to have lost nearly all the weakness that had been holding her back. "There is nothing left of Arthas; only the Lich King remains. Come, he's too powerful! We need to escape!" She began to move toward the open door to the outside world. Sylvanas ran with her, but stopped near the exit and turned.

"Jaina, give me a frost spell!" She pulled an arrow from her quiver and pointed it at the Lich King, who was charging after them as the heroes streamed past along the edge of the room.

"Right away!" Jaina imbued the arrow with frost – it began to glow bright blue. Sylvanas let it go, and it slammed into the Lich King, freezing him in place.

"Hurry!" the Dark Lady urged, "Run! _Run!_"

The entire group rushed out the door as fast as they could. There was only one way for them to go, along the clifftop road. The ice shattered behind them, and the Lich King began to chase after them. A large pack of geists and ghouls ran past him from behind.

"_Death's cold embrace awaits._" Arthas cast a spell and a wall of ice leapt up in front of the heroes.

"Mages, warlocks, shamans, fire pokemon, and Kai! Everyone who can use fire in any way, shape, or form, melt the ice down!" Ash ordered, "We'll hold the undead back!"

Vaku, Zaraia, Gary, Jaina, Jessie, and Mary began casting a neverending stream of fireballs. Iridi and William threw lava bolts. Rapidash shot flames from her horn, while ninetales, dragonair, and charmeleon used a flamethrower breath attack on the wall. Kai took his dragon form and unleashed his fiery dragon breath.

Rex impaled a geist on his ranseur and flung the undead creature off the cliff. Ash expertly decapitated a ghoul and moved to a new target, blades a-blur. Anando cast a frost spell on one of them and Kroll knocked it off the cliff. Zeliek cast his holy wrath spell as Misty consecrated the ground. Tirion cast a powerful judgement on one of the larger ghouls. Meowth picked off more undead with his archery.

The wall melted. "Let's go!" Jessie shouted. The other heroes abandoned whatever fight they were in and retreated with the rest of the group.

Another wall rose in front of them. "_Succumb to the chill of the grave…_"

The fire-users began blasting this wall down as well. The others turned.

Lorien launched herself into combat, stabbing two geists in the eyes at once. Atal'shi shot three arrows at once while her wind serpent grabbed a ghoul with its tail and threw it off the cliff. Roc took the form of a moonkin and called lightning down from the sky to strike the undead as they approached. Selma attacked with holy fire.

"Hurry, he's catching up!" Sylvanas warned, firing more arrows.

Jessie summoned her imp, and Mary followed her example. Even the demons' weak fireballs would help! Another wall went down, and the heroes once again fled some distance before finding yet another wall.

"_Another dead end… Beginning to lose hope?_"

"Never!" Misty shouted, casting holy shock on a large geist. Zin'ja and Starwisp took turns, so there was a never ending stream of arrows felling one undead after another. Aeroth tried to help throw the undead off the cliff while Moh'ra simply tore them limb from limb. Wendy used scimitars of light to shred flesh from bone as the undead continued their charge. Pikachu's mass-shocking ability came in handy, slowing the advance of the undead forces. Gaznick threw bombs at the geists and ghouls as they came.

The ice wall melted and once more the heroes ran. Despair began to sink in as they found _another_ wall!

"_How long can you fight it?_"

"'Til the bitter end, Arthas! We'll go down still struggling if we must!" James snarled, cutting a ghoul in half with his runeblade and immediately moving to another one to give the same treatment. Misty continued to consecrate the ground and smite the oncoming undead as her vaporeon aided in the attack, clawing and biting at her opponents. Victoria fought with ferocity in the face of death, and Rosa took the form of a bear while her snorlax picked up one ghoul after another and flung them to their demise at the bottom of the cliff. Tomas channeled shadow energy into the undead, tearing them apart with abilities closely related to those used by the espeon as it unleashed its psychic power.

The wall melted down and the heroes ran. They ran through a tunnel and reached another obstacle – this time, they did not run into a wall… they ran into a sheer drop. The Lich King cackled.

"No…" Jaina whispered, "it's a dead end!"

"Steel yourselves, heroes!" Sylvanas ordered, "For today we make our last stand!"

"_There's nowhere to run. You're mine now…_" the Lich King said.

"_**Fire! Fire!**_" someone shouted from behind the heroes. Great cannonballs flew past them and smashed into the tunnel walls. The whole thing caved in, placing a wall between the Lich King and his prey. The heroes turned – it was the Orgrim's Hammer, a Horde airship!

"Hurry onboard!" the orc called out, lowering a ramp, "The mountainside could collapse at any minute!"

Eagerly, the heroes rushed onto the ship. The engines roared, and the Orgrim's Hammer flew away from Icecrown. The heroes would have to reenter from another place. They would have to heed Uther's advice.

They would have to face Arthas at the Frozen Throne.


	71. Silence! Deathwhisper is Monologuing!

The bone golems fell quickly to the raiders as they charged through the corridor into the Lower Spire. Icecrown would suffer the same fate as Naxxramas, the heroes were sure of it! Just as a few sections of Naxxramas had fallen to their might and heralded the coming of the end for the Scourge stronghold, the few sections of Icecrown that had been taken by the raiders and the Argent Army were signs of what was to come; the attackers would tear a path through the citadel, all the way to the Frozen Throne, where the final showdown would take place. The only challenge left was _getting there._

Kai snapped bones with his massive jaws as he charged through the icy halls, spewing flame and leaving broken bodies in his wake. The clatter of sword and spear against dry bone rang through the chilled passages. Battlecries echoed and magic flashed brilliantly, reflecting off the thin layers of frost that grew like patches of moss on the saronite walls of the citadel. Red, blue, gold, green, and purple flashes lit the air as the spellcasters mowed down the undead forces with a wall of magic. Those that made it past found themselves blundering right into the maw of the black drake or the weapons of the fighters.

It did not take long to reach Lord Marrowgar. The monster was a giant construct with four skulls and a pair of batlike wings on the back of a simple ribcage, with long limbs gripping a giant axe, no more, no less.

"_This is the beginning, __**and**__ the end, mortals! __**None**__ may enter the master's sanctum!_"

Ash, James, Victoria, Rex, and the snorlax rushed over to Marrowgar. The five of them were able to take the hits from the axe, but required healing very quickly. Blue fire appeared under the snorlax's feet. It stumbled out of the way, but not before being burned by the cold fire. It was too slow and bulky for a fight requiring quick reflexes and agility. Rosa called it back, and Kai took his human form. The fire continued on a straight path toward the edge of the room. The mages were able to side-step away from it.

Another blast of cold fire rushed along the ground toward the archers, who also escaped from it. Lorien, as a melee fighter, had less time to get out of the way, and was burned. Then, the heroes were introduced to a more dangerous facet of Marrowgar's fighting style.

"_Stick around!_" he shouted, and spikes of what appeared to be dragon bone shot up from the floor, impaling Sylvanas, William, and the ninetales. Lorien immediately rushed over to the Dark Lady and pounded at the dragon bone with her daggers, breaking it along a critical line and allowing Sylvanas to rip the shards out of her body. Kroll shattered the spike that held Will captive with a single stroke of his blade. Anando was closest to the impaled pokemon and set out to free her. Zeliek stopped casting holy shocks at the bone construct and began healing his allies.

The fight continued, with the attackers dodging blue fire now and then. A second round of spikes appeared, and once again, Anando, Lorien, Kroll, and Zeliek were the ones to deal with the issue, becoming the unofficial rescue team.

Marrowgar collapsed! The raiders began cheering, thinking they'd won, but then…

"_**Bone storm!**_"

Several voices cried out, "What?" as the heroes scattered to avoid the whirlwind of bones as Marrowgar's parts flew around like a tornado. He flew toward many people, releasing blue fire in cross-shapes, often overlapping because of the speed at which he was casting them. The heroes ran around, trying to avoid the crisscross of icy flames. Some were not lucky enough to escape, but the healers pulled them through.

Lord Marrowgar pulled himself together – literally – and resumed the attack. A pyroblast blasted one of his skulls off. Gary snickered and grinned smugly.

A rib flew across the room, snapped off of Marrowgar's form by one of Ash's blades. Bone spikes shot up from the ground again, this time catching Kroll, Lorien, and charmeleon. Iridi cast a spell across the entire raiding group, empowering each of them with the spirit of heroism. Kai, feeling this increase in strength, kicked the bone shard that locked his fellow firebreather in place, breaking it and freeing the pokemon. Sylvanas shot a dark arrow at Lorien's prison, returning the favor. Anando destroyed the spike that held the orc in place.

Roc's wrath spell took off another of Marrowgar's skulls. Rex broke another of the construct's ribs off. Tirion landed the finishing blow, shattering the monster with a blast of Light.

"_I see… only… darkness…_"

There was silence for a minute as the heroes stared nervously at the pile of bones, expecting it to whirl through the air again. It did not move. Marrowgar's dark animating force had dissipated.

XXX

Ahead was a familiar sight – the unmistakable form of a lich, though when this one spoke, it was clear that it was different; it was a woman.

"You have found your way here, because you are among the few gifted with true vision in a world cursed with blindness. You can see through the fog that hangs over this world like a shroud, and grasp where _true power lies_. Fix your eyes upon your crude hands: the sinew, the soft meat, the dark blood coursing within. It is a _weakness_; a crippling _flaw_... A joke played by the Creators upon _their own creations_."

"Oh, Light help me," Zeliek whimpered, "She reminds me of Blaumeux already."

Ignoring him, the lich continued, "The sooner you come to accept your condition as a _defect_, the sooner you will find yourselves in a position _to transcend it_! Through our Master, _all_ things are possible. His power is without limit, and his will unbending. Those who oppose him will be destroyed utterly, and those who serve – who serve wholly, _unquestioningly_, with utter _devotion of mind and soul_ – elevated to heights beyond your imagining."

"Stop monologuing," Gary shouted at the lich. She answered him with a shadowbolt. Cult of the Damned members started coming through portals around the room as Lady Deathwhisper put up a mana shield.

"Casters and archers, on the lich; her mana shield will eventually break! Melee to the sides! Ash, Rosa, Kai, Gaznick, Aeroth, snorlax, left side! Rex, Kroll, Lorien, Victoria, Moh'ra, absol and wind serpent, right side! Anando, handle whatever comes out of the back portal until the others can come to your aid!" Gary commanded. The group split as directed.

Zeliek employed his shadow-protection aura, helping to reduce the impact of the lich's random shadowbolts. The casters' spells vanished into the bubble of magic surrounding the lich, and the hunters' arrows simply bounced off. Even so, Jaina could tell the shield was weakening.

Rex's side finished burning through the cultists and the group went to help the death knight as he held off a warrior.

Lady Deathwhisper mind controlled Atal'shi. The troll huntress turned on her allies and shot Vaku with an arcane arrow; he turned and polymorphed her before returning to chain-casting frostbolts.

The Blood Knight led his group back to the portals in time for a second wave of cultists to arrive. On the other side of the room, one Scourge follower fell, but did not stay down – Deathwhisper reanimated him. The snorlax crushed the skeleton with little effort. All of the lich's techniques were useless against the collective force of justice gathered before her.

The mana shield faded. "_Enough!_ I see I must take matters into my _own_ hands!"

She blasted everyone with a frostbolt volley, and it _hurt_. The healers scrambled to restore everyone to fighting condition.

"Okay," Misty shouted, "I don't wanna see any more of that; interrupt her frostbolts whenever possible! They're way too hard on us healers!"

The lich was beginning to panic; she was being swarmed by adventurers. She couldn't get her spells off, as they kept interrupting her casts. It was too much for her.

"All part of the master's plan! Your end is… _inevitable!_"

XXX

"Welcome aboard again, heroes," a crewmember greeted the raiders as they boarded the Orgrim's Hammer a second time.

"Today we battle the most hated enemy of the Horde – and of the Alliance!" High Overlord Saurfang announced, "This day will be remembered for as long as the mortal races survive! _Lok'tar ogar!_ Take us out, Kor'kron!"

The engines started up as propellers began to whir and the crew set to work. The airship lifted off the ground, and began its journey to a higher point on the spire. The heroes looked over the edge at the Argent forces blockading all ground-based entrances and exits of Icecrown Citadel. The ground level had been taken.

"Look, there!" Koltira shouted, pointing at something in the distance, "What's that?"

Saurfang squinted, trying to see what it was. Suddenly he grunted and turned to the rest of the crew. "_All hands on deck! Man the guns!_"


	72. Rest In Peace

"What is it?" Zaraia asked. The shapes on the horizon had no discernable form.

"More frost wyrms," Saurfang answered. Blood elf battlemages were already streaming up from below deck. The fighters rushed to the cannons.

"Are there any balconies accessible from below deck?" Starwisp asked.

Saurfang nodded. "What are you going to try to do, night elf?"

Starwisp readied her bow. "Find a place to shoot from in case they try to come from below." With that, she went below deck.

"I like that idea, glad I thought of it," Sylvanas muttered, also going below deck. Zin'ja and Atal'shi followed them down. Meowth stayed with Jessie at the front of the ship. The other warlock and mages lined the edge of the ship, standing between cannons. The paladins and priests joined them in a similar formation, ready to lash out with the Light.

"Anando, come with me!" James called to his fellow death knight. The high elf looked at him, then followed as James went below deck. "We're going to work that giant cannon at the bow of the ship."

The shamans climbed up onto the walkway between the two balloons that held the airship aloft. The six pokemon capable of fighting at range stood with the cannons, three to a side.

Kai took his dragon form and lifted off the deck of the ship. The two druids turned into birds and followed him. The wind serpent and owl flew up from the sides of the ship, presumably released from the balconies their owners would shoot from. Victoria's dragonair, despite not having wings, could fly, and it, too, took to the skies.

The frost dragons were nearly upon them. The cannonballs began to fly. Arrows zipped through the air. Spells streamed up at the dragons.

Samia saw the approaching frost wyrms and alerted the others to it. The black dragons lazing about on the ground around the blockaded entrances to the citadel looked up and saw the battle taking place above them. They got to their feet and took off to fight once more.

"_We can't let them reach the ship! A single one of them could take us out of the sky!_" Jaina shouted.

A frost wyrm flew in front of the airship, and was blasted out of the sky by the giant wolfs-head cannon. Anando and James lifted another giant cannonball into the massive gun.

Kai slammed into an undead dragon, claws-first. They tumbled through the air before the black drake let go and turned sharply, allowing his foe to crash into the wall of the citadel.

Tirion's judgement combined with Jaina's frostfire bolt and killed a frost wyrm midair. Cannons blasted the undead dragons out of the sky.

The blackflight arrived, having gained enough altitude to enter the fight. Dragons wheeled around the airship, dodging cannonballs and attacking each other.

An arrow slammed into a frost dragon's nose, causing it to veer wildly off its intended course, right in front of Ash. The warrior fired the cannon and hit his mark.

Roc and Rosa were harrassing another undead wyrm, distracting it while the dragonair blasted it with flames.

A frost wyrm swooped in from above, trying to attack the crew of the airship, but was tackled aside by a black wyrm.

Pikachu shocked a frost drake out of the sky with a powerful thunderbolt. A battlemage took down a different Scourge dragon. Another frost wyrm came up from below the ship, ready to unleash its icy breath on the Orgrim's Hammer.

"No you don't!" Samia roared as she slammed her talons into the monster's side. It shrieked and turned its head to face her, unleashing its cold torrent there instead. The black drake howled and responded with a blast of fire. The frost wyrm bit down on Samia's wing, but tumbled with her, unable to hold them both up, and they plummeted to their icy deaths below.

"_Samia!_" Kai yelled, diving down, but he wasn't able to pick up enough speed to catch up to them, and had to turn around to continue the battle in the sky. _Your death will not have been in vain, friend…_

Misty cast holy shock on a frost drake. It turned to attack but a cannon blasted it out of the sky. Nearly all the undead dragons had been dealt with.

As the last few dropped out of the sky, a different Scourge beast flew in, a familiar beast. It looked similar to the frost wyrms, but its horns were not colored differently, rather, they were part of its skull. It didn't have wing-fingers, only a single long finger to hold out the tattered remains of a wing membrane. Its forelegs were short, its neck long, and at the tip of its tail, a blue fire burned.

Rimefang was back. The undead charizard circled above the Orgrim's Hammer. The shamans threw lightning and lava at it, but it didn't seem hurt. Zeliek holy shocked it, and the other paladins followed his example.

The Scourge pokemon tried to breathe its cold blue fire on the heroes, but vaporeon and espeon had other ideas. The water pokemon fought back with a hydropump, strengthened by purple energy as the espeon channeled psychic power. Shards of ice flew this way and that, but the charmeleon, rapidash, and ninetales melted them away with fire before they could hurt anyone.

While the pokemon struggled, black dragons circled, diving in to blast Rimefang with flames, and the spellcasters on the ship berated the creature with magic. The charizard flapped its wings and backed away from the Orgrim's Hammer, intending to try to attack from another angle.

"_Now! Kill it while it can fall without damaging the ship!_" Tirion ordered.

"Paladins, cast an exorcism, all together at one time!" Lorien shouted.

The champions of the Light hesitated for a moment as they tried to line up their attacks.

"Ready, _now!_" Rex said. The blast of golden light resulting from the collective exorcism forced everyone to shield their eyes. Rimefang howled and dropped out of the sky. The black dragons returned to their places at the entrances to Icecrown Citadel and the airship sailed on. At last, it docked, and the heroes – and High Overlord Saurfang left the ship.

"Kor'kron! Move out! Champions, watch your backs. The Scourge have been-" the orc said.

"Join me, father. Join me and we will crush this world in the name of the Scourge - for the glory of the Lich King!" another voice called out – the younger Saurfang.

The High Overlord sighed sadly. "My boy died at the Wrathgate. I am here to collect the body…"

"Stubborn and old," Deathbringer Saurfang replied, "What chance do you have? I am stronger, and more powerful than you ever were."

His father just continued what he was saying before. "We named him Dranosh. It means 'Heart of Draenor' in orcish. I would not let the warlocks take him. My boy would be safe, hidden away by the elders of Garadar. I made a promise to his mother before she died; that I would cross the Dark Portal alone – whether I lived or died, my son would be safe. Untainted... Today, I fulfill that promise."

"Pathetic old orc. Come then heroes. Come and face the might of the Scourge!" the Deathbringer challenged.

"_Charge!_" shouted Saurfang the Elder, as he rushed into combat, axe held high.

His son attacked him and the battle began. Unexpectedly, the blood that was spilled by the attack didn't spatter the ground – no, the drops rushed to the death knight's skin as though drawn by a magnetic force, and then were absorbed. Deathbringer Saurfang grew slightly from this infusion of strength – he could now look _down_ at his father.

Ash saw this and skidded to a halt, mid-charge. "Whoa, _whoa, whoa! Back away, do __**not **__go near him! Do __**not**__ get hit!_"

"Hunter pets and melee pokemon go awayfor this fight!" Gary ordered, frantically trying to get the group organized during combat, "Avoid anything that could possibly make you bleed at all costs! We do _not_ want this guy to get any more blood!"

"What are _we_ to do?" Lorien asked, speaking on behalf of the rogues and warriors.

"Just stand back," Anando said, casting frost spells from a distance.

"Standing back won't help you!" the Deathbringer said, laughing. A blast of red light hit the high elf in the chest. When the orc next attacked his father, Anando cried out in pain, as though he'd been hit. He bled from a wound inflicted by a weapon that was not there.

"Healers," Gaznick called out, "split forces! Elf here needs help!"

Deathbringer Saurfang was at least a foot taller than the other orcs, now. His power was growing with every drop of spilled blood. He suddenly stopped fighting, just long enough to summon creatures to fight for him – strange, mutated monsters with red flesh, misshapen and ugly, their mouths full of razor-sharp teeth.

Iridi and William cast chain-lightning at them, trying to kill them before they could reach anyone. Roc stood behind the shamans, in moonkin form, ready to blast the creatures backwards when they reached their attackers. Sylvanas ran between the shamans and their targets, pulling a trap out of the plane of storage – a frost trap. Starwisp did the same and watched as the creatures touched the traps, and were slowed immensely by the magical frost that appeared around them. When they crossed the icy area, Roc blasted them backwards while the shamans continued to cast lightning at them.

It was intense, for both the druid and the hunters. It was not something they would consider doing in a normal fight, but this was no normal fight.

An explosion of red shards centered around Wendy, blasting the other healers. Their collective blood empowered the undead orc. They rushed away from each other.

"Spread out!" Tirion shouted.

"Hurry!" Victoria said, "We've got to get him down fast!" She watched from the sidelines, helpless – Saurfang the Elder had blocked his son off, preventing him from attacking the rest of the group, so the rogues and warriors, trying to avoid being hit, simply stood back.

"We're casting as fast as we can!" Gary told her. He was burning through mana very quickly – no need to save it, this was a damage race.

Rex alternated between healing and casting judgements. His charmeleon, though, made a daring move – it rushed in and blasted the younger Saurfang with fire. This was the decisive attack.

"I… am… released…" the orc said, slumping to the ground. The heroes killed off the blood beasts, and began to recover. The mages handed out food and water, and everyone rested. As the battle fury wore off, High Overlord Saurfang knelt by the body of his son.

"You will have a proper ceremony in nagrand, next to the pyres of your mother and ancestors," he said, voice broken. He picked up the corpse and stood. As he walked back to the Orgrim's Hammer with his dead son in his arms, he said, "Honor, young heroes... no matter how dire the battle... never forsake it."

Sir Zeliek bowed his head and said a prayer for the fallen orc. The others simply took part in a moment of silence.


	73. Plagueworks

The abomination collapsed, and the heroes simply streamed around its corpse, rushing right into combat with their next foe, who fell just as quickly. Up ahead, there were two plague dogs, similar to Gluth.

"Stand back," Starwisp said, "I've got this." She stealthily climbed the stairs, an arrow already nocked and the bowstring drawn. She took aim, fired, and then hurried down the stairs, as one of the plague dogs followed her. She'd been so silent as to not alert the other hound.

The plague dog that rushed after the night elf had a tattered ribbon around its neck, labeled "Precious". Some of the heroes who noticed this got a good chuckle before the fight began.

The hound snapped at the warrior. Her jaws were not as strong as Gluth's, but she still put a mighty injury on Ash's arm. Tirion threw a healing spell his way, and the warrior was able to keep going. Each time the hound attacked Ash, it seemed like the attacks were getting stronger – perhaps the healers just weren't keeping up. Rex took over, using his Hand of Reckoning spell to draw Precious' attention. Gary and Wendy repaired the warrior's armor and healed him while the Blood Knight distracted the plague dog. The warrior and paladin taunted the hound away from each other while the others raced to kill the creature, and finally, the dog went down. Now, it was time to kill the other.

XXX

The invaders stumbled out of Festergut's area, still choking on the poison gas they'd been fighting through. The paladins cleansed the entire group, just in case – the last thing anyone needed was for one of the invaders to become plagued.

"We need to rest," William said. The shaman sighed. He, like everyone else, was exhausted by the never-ending fighting. It seemed they had been doing nothing but fighting for what felt like a lifetime, and combat fatigue was setting in.

Gary conjured a table of food and water for everyone present, with Jaina's help. The heroes sat down to rest, wary though they were. They didn't have long to regain their strength, but any break was welcomed.

"How many paladins does it take to replace a burnt-out candle?" Zeliek asked, trying to lighten the mood. He was audibly tired, and the joke was dampened by the exhaustion in his voice.

"How many?" Tomas asked flatly. He eagerly drank some conjured water and sighed as he leaned against the wall.

"Eleven: one to get a new candle, and ten to praise the Light." It wasn't a very good joke, but it did what the undead paladin had intended – drawn attention away from the war that loomed over each raider. There was a collective murmur of half-hearted laughter.

There was a long, awkward silence as the heroes tried to regain their strength.

"Have you figured out the spell to take us home?" Jessie asked, looking at Gary. She didn't feel any excitement at the idea of going home. It didn't seem real.

"Huh…?" he asked dully. He hadn't been paying attention.

"A portal home. Have you figured it out?"

"Oh, yeah… I think I've got it."

"Good."

Another long silence.

"Where did you all fall into Azeroth?" Mary asked, "I started off in the ghostlands."

"Wendy and I started in Eversong," Rex said. Mary already knew that, but he was mentioning it for the others.

"Mulgore," William answered. The trainers told each other where they started from, while the native Azerotheans listened to their descriptions of their initial reactions.

The topic changed again. "You know," Rex said, "our little crew here doesn't have a name. Don't most adventuring parties have a name?"

"I vote we call ourselves 'Order of the Snowball'," James replied, with the slightest hint of humor in his voice.

"Why's that?" Zaraia asked.

"Because, like a snowball rolling down the hill, the group just keeps getting bigger."

Everyone laughed. "Yeah, first I was on my own, then Ash and Misty came along, and then we got Starwisp, then you and Jessie, and then Zaraia, and Kai, and Sir Zeliek, and now we've merged with this other group," Gary said.

Jaina shook her head, grinning. "Order of the Snowball, you little jokers…"

"On a serious note, I think we don't really need a name," Misty said.

"Darn right, we're too cool for that!" Wendy answered.

"Let's go," Selma said, "that's enough restin', methinks."

The heroes got to their feet, and, morale restored, set out to destroy Rotface.

Upon reaching the monster's quarter, the gate slammed shut behind them. A voice called out "Good news everyone! I've fixed the poison slime pipes!" Ooze sloshed up from the grates at one of the quarters of the room.

"Everyone, to the center, now!" Tirion commanded. Rotface towered above the heroes, but they ran to his feet without any sign of fear, forming a circle around him. The melee fighters began to hack at the monster's legs while the spellcasters streamed their magic up at him.

Rotface smashed at the heroes for a while, to little avail, before suddenly swaying in place, not responding to the heroes. "Urgh…"

"That's not a good sound to hear; let's move out of here!" Misty called out, leading the people in front of Rotface away – it was a wise decision, as the monster spewed bile and slime, which filtered away into the drains – except for some that formed into a living mass and went after Atal'shi. The troll ran away.

"Somebody! 'Elp me out here, mon!"

Zin'ja fired an arrow at the slime, but it didn't seem to be harmed. "Jus' keep runnin'!"

The raiders continued to attack Rotface while Atal'shi fled from the ooze. Slime gushed out of the grate in front of her. The troll woman stopped and let out a small yelp before trying to go around the green liquid.

Again, Rotface spewed slime, and this time the ooze chased after the fire mage.

"Uh oh!" Gary started running, until he was side by side with the troll. The oozes rammed into one another and merged. The singular ooze then continued chasing Atal'shi. "Hey, would you mind continuing to run this thing around the room? We'll bring any other oozes in to merge with it."

"Ehh, do I got a choice, mon? You go back to yo' spells, I keep him busy!"

The mage ran back to the middle, stopping to observe the fight for a moment. Lorien, absol, and charmeleon were on the monster's back, tearing it apart. Zeliek, Misty, Wendy, and Tirion stood in a square formation around the group, healing those who were hit by Rotface's random kicks and punches. Pillars of moonfire shot down from above. Lightning arced around the room, gold and blue. Fire, shadow, ice, and arcane energy floated up from the ground in bolts. The mage stopped watching and reentered the fight, adding his own flames to the mix.

XXX

"Bad… news… daddy…" Rotface said, collapsing.

"Terrible news, everyone," the voice from before called out, "Rotface is dead! But _great_ news everyone! He left behind plenty of ooze for me to use! Wha...? I'm a poet, and didn't know it! Haha!"

The heroes pried the gate open and returned down the hallway to enter the center chamber of the Plagueworks.

"This guys sounds… rather eccentric," Jessie commented.

"Hmm… I can only imagine what _this_ fight is going to be like…" Gary muttered.

"Only one way to find out," Sylvanas stated.


	74. The Nutty Professor

The raiders entered Putricide's chamber. The professor, a thin, labcoat-clad undead man with no hair on the top of his nearly-skeletal head and large, thick glasses, turned away from his potion table to look over his shoulder at the intruders.

"Hm? Ah, _no!_ You can't come in here all _dirty_ like that! You need to have that nasty flesh scrubbed off first!" Professor Putricide exclaimed.

"_Oh _boy," James muttered, "_that's_ the kind of fight this is going to be…"

Vaku charged in first, letting out a battle cry and throwing a powerful ice lance – unfortunately, he missed. The lance hit a pipe, breaking part of it, and sending a few small pieces of metal flying up toward the ceiling, where they lodged themselves in a series of tubes. The tubes began to slowly leak ooze.

"Oh, I _just_ fixed those!" Putricide whined.

"Good going, hotshot," Ash said, glaring at the blood elf. Though the two had come to an understanding, they still disliked one another.

The trainers unleashed their pokemon and readied themselves for combat. Rosa, having given the command to attack, stopped paying attention to her pokemon – watching what she was doing as she transformed into a cat and pounced was far more important.

The snorlax, however, did not agree with his master's orders. He was hungry, and began looking for food. He fixed his gaze on the professor's table of potions.

Putricide swung his fists at the closest raider – Ash. The warrior tried to hold the undead scientist back, swinging his swords to deter the man. As Lorien, Kroll, Victoria, and the rest of the melee fighters closed in, Putricide pulled a small knife from a coat pocket. He wouldn't go down easily!

Snorlax picked up a green ball of nearly-solidified ooze, sniffed it, and ate it. It proved to be a poor decision. The pokemon roared in agony as the ooze changed him, withering his flesh and causing pustules to appear on his body, like those on many other plagued creatures. The hunger only became worse.

Gary's spells were random and uncoordinated. Zaraia, Jaina, and Vaku had the same issue; with slime leaking from the ceiling, they had to keep moving, which prevented them from really settling into their spell rotation. Even so, they were still dealing a considerable amount of damage to their foe, who was surprisingly durable despite appearing frail. Jessie, doing nothing but chain-casting shadowbolts, did not have this problem.

Snorlax, despite being hungry, knew his master was in danger. He had to help somehow! A puddle of ooze caught his eye. He was already mutated, what more harm could it do him? He had to make sure the ooze didn't fill the room and kill the raiders, so he did the only thing he knew how to do: he ran over and began to eat it.

Putricide landed a nasty blow with his knife, right between the plates of Ash's armor. Misty healed him, and he continued fighting. Putricide backed away, glancing back and forth between various attackers, in a panic. An arrow imbued with magic struck him in the shoulder and another – this one poisoned – followed it. Zin'ja and Starwisp readied their next shots. The professor took another step back, only to be stabbed painfully with Lorien's daggers.

A living ooze plopped out of a tube on one side of the room. The green slime ball targeted Tirion and launched part of itself. The slime projectile hit its mark, right on the paladin's feet. The sticky ooze prevented Fordring from moving. He struggled, but it was like glue. He glanced up – the ooze was charging toward him. "I… could use a hand here!"

For a brief moment, the paladin thought he was done for, but then the snorlax proved his worth, albeit in a disgusting way. The pokemon rushed over and spat the slime it had been eating at the ooze – using its own tricks against it. The thing was slowed down.

Tirion did all he could to fight back, casting judgements at the ooze over and over, but it was not enough. The mages came to his aid, backing him with fireballs, frostfire bolts, arcane missiles, and ice lances. The paladin continued to struggle, and the glue-like substance that held him in place began to slide down off his feet; he was nearly free!

The ooze was dangerously close to the paladin. "We need some more backup here!" Gary called out. Mary and Jessie also began to attack the slime. William and Iridi shocked the slime with lightning.

Only the melee fighters, archers, and pokemon were left attacking Putricide. He was holding up much better now that there were no spells being thrown at him. Even so, he needed more fire power.

The ooze gave out, collapsing in on itself under the magical stress of so many spells. Tirion, with just a few more struggling movements, was able to free himself from the slime, and a few steps later he was moving perfectly normally again.

The spellcasters were able to return to attacking the professor. Putricide, however, had other ideas. He pulled a vial out of his coat pocket and threw it on the ground. The tear gas incapacitated the heroes as Professor Putricide rushed over to his lab table. He drank a few of the potions and turned back to the heroes.

"Hm… I don't feel a thing…" he glanced over at the tentacles that had sprouted from his back. "Wha? Where did those come from?"

Another ooze dropped out of a pipe, this one bright orange. It targeted Roc, but instead of spitting glue at his feet, it extended part of itself and latched on. The moonkin tried to shapeshift out, taking the form of a cheetah to get away, but the rope of slime held, preventing the druid from running away very quickly. The casters once more turned their attention to rescuing a party member, but Putricide wouldn't have it. He threw a ball of slime at them. They scattered, letting out startled cries.

Those fighting Professor Putricide himself had to flee as well, since a puddle of slime had formed nearby. Atal'shi ran away, firing arrows as she did, trying to avoid being forced too close to the scientist, and nearly ran into another pool of goo.

The casters reorganized and tried to help the druid again. The snorlax rushed past them, trying to eat up all the goo and then using it to slow the ooze. The ball of living slime collapsed as the spellcasters gave it all they had, letting the cheetah escape. Roc regained his bearings and returned to the form of a moonkin.

A pyroblast slammed into Putricide; he lost his balance and a jar fell out of his pocket, shattering as it hit the floor, releasing orange fog. Again the heroes scattered. Sylvanas ducked, narrowly avoiding getting hit with a ball of slime.

Another green ooze entered the fray, nearly unnoticed in the chaos. This time, James was the unlucky victim. Snorlax slowed the advancing slime, and the casters burned it down. At this point, the effects of the potion wore off the pokemon, and Putricide took one last desperate measure. Throwing his last vial of tear gas, he ran to the table and drank every potion he had.

"Tastes like cherry…" he muttered. The undead scientist grew stronger and bigger, til he resembled a wight in stature. He charged at the heroes, now able to do considerable damage to them. With a single punch he sent Rex flying. The Blood Knight slammed into the wall and slumped to the ground.

The slime pools that had previously been overwhelming the snorlax now had nothing keeping them in check, and began to fill the room.

"Hurry, _hurry! _We need to burn him down quickly!" Misty said, adding her own attacks to the mix even while still healing.

Gary called upon the same magic that had helped him defeat Kel'Thuzad, allowing the fire to rage around him. Arcane lightning appeared around Zaraia as she drained her own mana to amplify the effects of her spells.

Just as they had when fighting Deathbringer Saurfang, the raiders used nearly everything they had, completely disregarding mana. Wrath, moonfire, fireballs, frostbolts, arcane barrages, holy shocks, lightning, psychic energy, and shadowbolts streamed in, while the healers had to give it all they had to keep the melee fighters, who were attacking as fast and as hard as they could, healed. Finally, putricide fell.

"Bad news, everyone… I… don't think I'm going to… make it…!"

With that, the raiders fled the area. They nearly collapsed outside the lab, exhausted. Even so, they were hopeful – it was nearly over. They were nearing the Lich King's lair.


	75. Blood Princes

The raiders were face to face with the Blood Council. Keleseth, Taldaram, and Valanar stared at the invaders, while a winged blood elf woman watched from the balcony above.

"Foolish mortals. You thought us defeated so easily? The San'layn are the Lich King's immortal soldiers! Now you shall face their might combined! Rise up, brothers, and slay them!" she said.

The vampire elf in blue robes – Prince Valanar – stepped forward. "I recognize some of you – Horde soldiers. I know what you're thinking. You're shocked to see me. You thought you were rid of me. _Naxxanar was merely a setback!_ Behold now, the true power of the San'layn! The power of the Blood Orb flows through me!"

James rushed forward to meet him in combat. The undead elf threw a ball of golden magic in the air and knocked the death knight back with a swirling vortex of lightning magic. Jessie happened to be standing too close, and when the vortex threw James backwards, the lightning arced over to her and also knocked her backwards. Meowth, not sure what the ball would do, decided to get rid of it before it became a problem. He shot an arrow at it – much to his surprise, it bounced up when it was hit.

Keleseth, the one wearing faded red robes with fel-green gems, threw a shadowbolt at Sylvanas, who retaliated with a black arrow.

Taldaram, the one in orange, conjured a fireball, much larger than a pyroblast, but much slower, that floated toward Atal'shi. Gary, who happened to be near its path, tried to steal the flames for his own spell, pulling most of the mass away from sphere and redirecting it into a fireball of his own. Jaina, Zaraia, and Vaku joined him in weakening the orb.

More orbs formed in the room – these were balls of shadow energy. Rex charged past one as he tried to get to Prince Keleseth. The orb turned into a shapeless wisp of black smoke that swirled around the Blood Knight. He felt the shadow magic burning him, but it weakened the power of the shadowbolts, which had been far more painful. The paladin used his natural ability to weaken shadow magic by sheer willpower. "You may surround me with your darkness, Keleseth, but my Light will shine through regardless! Light will always triumph over shadow, you will see!" Even so, he could feel the dark magic eating away at him – until he was healed. He glanced over his shoulder, and there was Wendy. He smiled, and went back to fighting as the priestess used a powerful prayer of shadow protection to help him.

Prince Taldaram threw a blast of embers from his outstretched hand. The embers looked like a larger and more powerful version of a sparkler – pretty, but deadly. Ash winced as the flurry of tiny, burning sparks stung his face. Misty healed him and, like Rex, resolved to not let the flames hurt her or her friends, and through pure faith, held back much of the pain of the fire.

Valanar struggled with James, using his staff to hold back the death knight's mighty runeblade. With a burst of strength, he pushed the undead man back and agilely brought his stave around to slam into the death knight's side. James stumbled backwards a few steps. Tirion healed him.

The golden orb from earlier hit the ground among the archers. The blast was very painful. Valanar threw another one, cackling madly. It floated down near Zaraia.

"Watch out for the ball!" Vaku shouted at her. She smacked it away with her staff.

Gary noticed his absol tilting its head eagerly and looking alert at the word "ball". Suddenly, he had an idea. "Absol! Do you want the ball? Do you want the ball, boy? Go get the ball! Go get it!" His pokemon barked excitedly and took off after Valanar's energy bomb – the raiders would not have to worry about that for the rest of the fight. As long as it didn't hit the ground, it wouldn't explode, and with the absol focused on it, the chances of it touching the floor were nil.

Mary, Jessie, and Tomas, users of shadow themselves, were drawn to Keleseth. So similar, yet so different, it felt appropriate to face off with him. Lorien, Rosa, and Gaznick, so used to hiding among the shadows, also chose to attack him. An owl flew over their heads, announcing Starwisp's choice of target, as she teamed up with Sylvanas. Charmeleon, a creature of fire and source of light by nature, did its best to hold the shadows at bay. Espeon, with its natural advantage over the undead, fought at its master's side.

Anando rushed to his daughter's side, assisting her in the fight against Taldaram. "For the Light!"

Misty echoed the battle shout, followed by Zeliek, who also joined the attack. Atal'shi sent her wind serpent in and aimed an arcane shot, while Meowth shot arrows more rapidly. Kai, intending to fight fire with fire, picked Taldaram as his target and unleashed his flames. The Blood Prince was resilient – all three, in fact, seemed bound together, spreading their lifeforce between them. Each had the strength of three, at the price of sharing their pain. Pikachu and vaporeon did their best to aid the trainers.

Blue lightning arced through the air as the shamans channeled the will of the elements toward Valanar. Selma switched from healing to smiting the Blood Prince with the Holy Light. Roc, still a moonkin, called upon the stars and the power of the Earthmother to strike the servants of the Scourge. Victoria and Kroll charged into battle, but the shockingly quick elf was able to defend himself reasonably well against three melee attackers. Ninetales, rapidash, and dragonair berated him with fire, and Zin'ja was unrelenting with his assault of arrows. Prince Valanar stumbled and nearly fell when Moh'ra jumped on his back. He struggled to get her off as the warriors and death knight continued their unrelenting attack.

Swirling light began to appear under the feet of everyone in the area. James recognized the effect. "Spread out! Don't blow each other up!" The heroes scattered, and just in time. The vortexes finished forming and sparked madly, swirling around each individual, but they were too far apart to trigger the explosion. The vortexes faded as Valanar realized his ability was doing him no good, and threw the Blood Orb to Keleseth. The raiders returned to their positions.

Rex tried to intercept the Blood Orb, but the Darkfallen Prince's hand closed around it first. Keleseth glared at the paladin for a moment, clearly grinning sadistically under his mask. He then blasted Rex with a mighty shadowbolt. The Blood Knight stepped back, gasping for air, eyes wide. Had it not been for the shadow resisting magic, he would have been killed instantly. Wendy healed him quickly. Another powerful shadowbolt undid her spell, again and again. Selma rushed to her aid, helping her heal the paladin.

Taldaram threw another ball of fire into the air, this one aimed at Tirion. Again, the mages drew the flames away, redirecting them. The fiery prince let out a frustrated yell. "Brother! Give me the orb!"

Keleseth lobbed the magical sphere to his fellow Blood Prince, who immediately conjured another ball of fire. "Redirect _this!_"

The flames flew toward Mary. Gary tried to strip the flames of their power, only to reel back in shock and pain as the fire that he pulled toward him took the form of a fiery serpent and lunged at him, biting him before dissipating. The other mages were similarly hurt by the weakened sphere, which went on to crash into the warlock, weakened though it was.

Rex landed a painful blow on Keleseth's shoulder. The Blood Prince stepped back and was hit with Jessie's powerful chaos bolt. A staff flew between the paladin and the vampiric elf. They both glanced over to where Valanar had been disarmed by his foe. In a desperate attempt to survive, Prince Valanar conjured a shock vortex under James, knocking the death knight to the ground several feet away. The elf let out a strangled gasp as a sword pierced through his chest from behind. Kroll kicked the blood elf off his blade. Keleseth and Taldaram, having linked their life forces with Valanar's, clutched at their chests and collapsed as though they, too, had been stabbed.

The Blood Queen gazed down at the raiders from her platform. "You have made an… _unwise_ decision…"


	76. The Battered Hilt

Lana'thel spread her batlike wings and flew down from her balcony, landing in front of the heroes and walking slowly, calmly toward them. "Their power was nothing compared to mine. Cower before my might!"

Ash shouted and charged in, swords held high. Rex followed him, ranseur ready. Lana'thel dodged the spear and parried Ash's blow. She laughed evilly as a rope of red magic connected the two raiders, binding their life forces temporarily together. The Blood Queen's blade struck the paladin's shoulder, and Ash winced with him, sharing his pain.

The rest of the melee charged, gathering into their circle around the vampire queen. Rosa stayed back and remained in human form, following Roc's example of moonfire, starfire, and wrath. The ranged fighters fell into formation around them, pokemon included, creating a vast semicircle.

The Blood Queen threw a blood bolt at Jaina, which exploded, hurting not only the sorceress but the people at her side. "Stagger the ranged formation!" she called out. Every other combatant in the line stepped back, allowing more room between fighters.

Misty, Tirion, Wendy, Selma, and Zeliek were healing as fast as they could, but everyone in the area was being drained of strength by a powerful magic aura around Blood Queen Lana'thel. Tirion stepped behind the other healers and turned his back on Lana'thel. "You keep the melee fighters up. I'll handle healing everyone else."

Zaraia let out a cry as purple flames appeared under her. Immediately, she got out of the fire, but it just followed her. She ran to the back of the room and moved along the walls until the flames went out.

Then, the true challenge began. Lana'thel parried Rex's attack and grabbed the shaft of the spear, forcing the paladin to stumble and crash into the warrior. Then she spun around and locked swords with James. Suddenly, she lunged, biting the death knight's neck. "Now you will know my hunger!" she cackled.

He changed. He grew fangs and became stronger. The blood curse of the San'layn had him in its grasp, and it would not be long before he would fall to the control of Lana'thel and his own bloodthirst. Until then, he would be far more powerful than before.

Pikachu took its turn running by the wall, trailed by dark fire, watching as the Blood Queen showed the heroes that she still had more tricks up her sleeve. "Can you handle this?" she asked, and bound three raider to one another. Red flames burned those around them, getting less powerful as the heroes moved toward each other. Wendy and Misty were already near one another, and as soon as Gary stepped into range, the curse lifted.

James was about to lose his mind – the vampiric hunger burned in him like the will of the Lich King once had. Jessie cried out in shock as her teammate used his death grip to yank her over to him, then he put his runeblade to her throat. "Forgive me, Jessie." He drew the tip of the blade across her throat, lightly, just hard enough to make a thin line of blood, which climbed up his runeblade. The carvings glowed bright red as the blood trickled up to his hand. He could continue to fight now, but the curse had been spread, just according to Lana'thel's plan. The warlock was also nearly in the Blood Queen's grasp.

Tomas, Starwisp, and Victoria rushed to get near each other to cancel the blood pact that had been forced on them. They were immediately targeted by a blood bolt.

The fight continued in this way until the new vampires had to drain blood once more. James targeted the nearest person – this time, Lorien. Jessie, not having the same willpower as James, had all but lost her mind, lashing out as a true vampire would at Vaku, biting him! Her sanity was restored by the blood, and the horror of what she had done – what she was becoming – washed over her.

The cold realization that the vampires would eventually run out of people to bite and they would all fall to the Scourge slowly crept into the mind of each raider. They had to get Lana'thel down fast, so the curse could be cleansed – the mages would have to concentrate and link their mana together to cast a powerful enough dispel, something that could not be done in the frenzy of combat.

The Blood Queen knew she was winning. She leapt into the air with a shriek and began to cast blood bolts at everyone while hovering above. The melee fighters watched helplessly, while the casters and archers kept firing away with all their might. Pikachu shocked Lana'thel with enough strength that her muscles locked for a moment, forcing her back to the ground. The rogues, warriors, and other hand-to-hand combatants pounced on her at the first chance they got.

The vampires tried to put off the biting as long as they could but the blood curse won out. Sylvanas fought back against James but lost, also falling to the curse. Lorien attacked Iridi, while Jessie and Vaku attacked Zin'ja and Victoria. Time was running out.

"Come on, attack harder!" Gary urged the others, casting spells for all he was worth, trying as hard as he could to just be even a little bit more effective – everything counted! Spells streamed in from the semicircle. The melee fighters were panting from the effort they were putting into attacking the absurdly powerful Blood Queen. The hunters doubled their firing rate.

Lana'thel tried to fight back, but the raiders were too much. In the flurry of attacks, she finally collapsed.

"Lift the curse, hurry! I'm not sure how much longer we can restrain ourselves!" Lorien shouted. The mages stood in a circle, holding hands and channeling all their mana into one massive counter to the curse. Blue light filled the room and the vampires returned to normal. The mages looked like they were about to faint, and collapsed to a sitting position, exhausted. The rest of the raiders leaned against the walls or also sat down, as the adrenaline wore off, leaving them completely drained.

After the heroes had recovered, Gary noticed something on the ground near Lana'thel's body. He walked over and picked it up. It was the hilt of a sword. "Jaina, look at this."

Jaina looked over the younger mage's shoulder at the hilt. "Oh my… Whatever blade this used to belong to must have been quite powerful."

"I know… I can feel the magic coming from it…"

"Well it won't do us any good broken like that. We're too far into Icecrown Citadel to turn back now for a potentially useless magical artifact," Vaku said.

"True…"

"Then let us continue," Jaina said.


	77. Time to Shine

Having destroyed the valkyr guardian of the Frostwing Halls, the raiders pressed onward. They could not have expected what they found. Before them was a green dragon, lying helpless on the ground.

"By the Light," Tirion muttered. The great dragon heard him and lifted her head weakly.

"Heroes… lend me your aid!" she begged, "I… I cannot hold them off much longer!"

"Anyone here capable of healing, get to work on that dragon!" Gary ordered, "Rex, you heal us while we fight off any Scourge that try to stop us. Rosa, we might need a cat or bear or whatever, so you can stay out of the healing, too. Everyone else, start healing! We'll protect you!"

The dry gasp of a skeleton rang through the halls. "They… they come! Hurry, heroes!" the dragon urged. Undead began to enter the room through four doorways.

Gary started shouting orders, acting on instinct. "Jaina, Atal, Kai, Rosa, snorlax, vaporeon, ninetales, group one! Gaznick, Zaraia, Anando, Mary, pikachu, espeon, Meowth, group two! Lorrie, Zin, Jessie, James, Vaku, dragonair, rapidash, group three! Kroll, Sylvanas, Starwisp, charmeleon, absol, you're with me, group four! Rex, you're on raid healing. Ash, deal with any large Scourge on my half of the room, Victoria, do the same for the other side! Everyone else is healing the dragon! Let's go!"

The heroes grouped up and spent a few seconds figuring out which group would go to what door, and after a moment of confusion, moved to their positions, and fought to hold the Scourge back.

Light filled the room, as the dominant source of healing. Nature and water-based healing backed it, but this was really a time for the paladins and priests to literally shine.

United in their cause, three paladins and three priests let the mighty green dragon stand as a beacon of hope in the dark citadel, actually _shining_ with holy energy, bathing the room in a warm, golden glow, relegating shadows to the corners behind objects, nearly blinding the undead that tried desperately to stop it. It was a beautiful sight, inspiring and touching at once. Misty heard someone sob and glanced to the side as she cast another healing spell; seeing such a concentration of Light in the darkest of places, after so long locked up in a hellish fortress of evil, had brought _tears_ to Sir Zeliek's eyes.

It was then that she also realized how beautiful and meaningful what she was doing really was, and a tear rolled down her cheek as well. _Light _would always triumph.

A shining green rift opened in the air near Roc. "Enter the Emerald Dream, druid. Our salvation lies within." The tauren nodded and stepped through the rift. On the other side was not a citadel, but a beautiful forest, lush like Sholazar Basin, blooming with every flower imaginable. Before him stood Valithria, strong and whole. Orbs of green life essence floated around him like bubbles underwater. He reached out and touched one, and it melted into his hand. He could feel its power coursing through him. He gathered as many of the orbs as he could under the watchful eye of the dragoness, before returning from the Dream. His healing was empowered by the dream essences. Green light mixed with the dominant gold in a brilliant display.

The fighters hardly needed Rex's healing, able to tear through the undead as the Scourge shielded their eyes from the light.

"My strength is returning! Press on, heroes!" Valithria said.

The waves of undead began to slow, even as the healers – entering and exiting the Dream, one by one – became stronger. The light slowly faded as the healers, having finished their job, stopped. Valithria stood. "I am renewed! Ysera, grant me the strength to lay these creatures to rest!"

The green dragon lifted into the air, hovering and glowing with the essence of the Dream, which suddenly shone so bright as to be blinding. The remaining undead cried out in unison as they were blown into oblivion by the powerful nature magic.

The light faded and Valithria, having transformed, floated to the ground as a high elf, her green robes fluttering around her as though in some unfelt wind.

The whole thing had done wonders for morale. Morale that would soon be shattered.

XXX

The undead trainers were slain quickly and without mercy, but their pokemon, a salamence and dragonite, proved far more dangerous. The dragon pokemon – renamed by the Scourge to Spinestalker and Goreclaw respectively – were among the elite few to actually reside within Icecrown Citadel. Rimefang had been the third member of the group.

The heroes split up as the two dragons landed. Goreclaw roared loudly at Ash as the warrior charged at him. Kroll attacked the other dragon. "_Lok'tar ogar!_"

Spinestalker clawed at the orc, smacking him around. His limbs and belly were skeletal, though the plates that his kind had on their lower chest and stomach, being made of bone, were intact. The undersides of his neck and tail were devoid of flesh, but the top of his body still had rotting, grayish indigo flesh stretched taught over the bones, and pale blue flames burned in his chest and eye sockets. He reeked of decay and blood, and his talons were permanently stained deep crimson. His bony tail swept back and forth. Atal'shi, William, and Tomas were standing in the wrong place and were flung violently aside by the salamence's thrashing tail.

"_Don't stand on the tail!_" Kai scolded, "You've fought _how many _dragons? You should know this by now! Stand to the sides!"

Goreclaw flapped his small, bony wings and straightened up a bit, hissing in anger. He was more a zombie than a skeleton, unlike his companion. His flesh was mostly intact except around the snout, talons, and patches all over his body. Even so, he proved that the blue fire burned in him as well. The dragonite took a deep breath, then unleashed his icy azure flames on the raiders. Kai confronted Spinestalker in his draconic form, lifting himself onto his hind legs for a moment and then slamming down onto all fours, roaring challengingly.

The salamence returned the threat, letting out a powerful roar that led the heroes to cower reflexively for a moment. Then he thundered forward, throwing the heroes to either side as he swept his tail back and forth while charging. He tried to bite down on Kai's neck, but the black drake reared up and caught his foe with his claws, holding him back. The heavy-bodied pokemon was unable to rear up high enough to retaliate with its own forelegs, and was left to growl, scream, and snap at Kai. The drake bellowed right back at his foe. "Now! Kill the other one! I'll handle this one!"

Goreclaw was more than powerful enough to be a match for the raid. He tried to stomp on the heroes, forcing them to scatter. His powerful jaws snapped shut on Jessie's arm and shoulder, shattering the bones as he picked her up and threw her violently toward the edge of the citadel. Had she not slammed into one of the spikes, she would have plummeted to her death at the bottom of Icecrown Glacier.

Spinestalker tried to run over the drake that held him back, his feet sliding helplessly until he locked a claw into the floor, allowing him to force himself forward, bowling over Kai. The very plates that protected the salamence's heart in life proved to be his weakness now, as the solid surface gave Kai something to push his feet against to hold Spinestalker back as the frost wyrm pokemon furiously clawed and snapped at him.

Snorlax barreled into Goreclaw with enough force to snap a rib or two under the rotting flesh. Shrieking in rage and pain, the dragon turned – the raiders ducked to avoid the tail – and blasted the snorlax with blue fire. Howling in agony, the pokemon reeled back.

Misty tried to get to Jessie to heal her, but was nearly killed when Spinestalker's tail slammed down in front of her, missing her by mere inches. She scrambled backwards, and found herself under Goreclaw's foot. She dove out of the way as the dragon stomped the ground furiously. The paladin had to scramble out from under the two dragons. She ran to where the warlock sat, clutching her shattered arm, healing her. Jessie repayed the favor soon, tackling the young paladin out of the way as Spinestalker's body slammed into the same spikes that had saved Jessie from falling to her death, similarly stopping the dragon.

The salamence stood and shook himself, then charged at Kai again. The drake scrambled to get out of the way, and Spinestalker clawed at the ground, trying to stop himself before he slammed into the wall, and was able to slow but not completely halt his approach. The hollow thud didn't just echo through the air, it shook the floor the heroes were standing on. Kai took to the sky, now panicking, and the pokemon chased him into the air. As the two flew overhead, the battle with Goreclaw continued.

Blue runes appeared on the ground as the pokemon used a limited form of magic stemming from abilities it had been taught for battling in life. The heroes scrambled to get off them before ice shards erupted from them. Jaina and Gaznick were not fast enough, though the mage was able to blink to safety. The gnome rogue, though, found himself impaled and in desperate need of healing. Rex tried to get to him but was forced back by a bolt of blue fire – Spinestalker had missed his target, and continued to shoot cold fireballs at Kai.

Kai looked over his shoulder and hung in the air for a moment as he turned just far enough to breathe a blast of fire at his pursuer, then the chase continued. Meowth looked up from his position and saw an opportunity as the dragons flew overhead. As the salamence's shadow passed over him, he shot an arrow straight up into the dragon's chin. Spinestalker, roaring with pain, stopped and hovered where he was, trying to rip the arrow out of his skull with his claws. He succeeded, just as Kai tackled him from above, slamming them both into the platform the other heroes were fighting on.

Goreclaw grabbed another person in his jaws. This time, it was Sir Zeliek, who he caught by the cape as the paladin tried to get out of the way. The dragonite simply threw the undead paladin high into the air. Zeliek was surrounded by a bubble of golden light as he fell, and landed on his feet – had the bubble not formed, he would have broken both legs if he was lucky, killed if he wasn't.

While the dragonite was reared back from throwing the paladin, ninetales took a running jump at him, clamping its jaws down on the pokemon's neck. Goreclaw thrashed about in an attempt to get it off, giving Rex a chance to charge. The Blood Knight jumped, slammed his spear into the dragon's chest, and then let go and crashed into the ground between the beast's feet. The undead pokemon screamed and howled, and the paladin rushed to get out from under it as it collapsed. The monster slammed into the ground, catching a priestess under its head.

"_Wendy!_" Rex shouted, rushing over and lifting the dragon's skull off her. She was badly hurt, but still alive. He didn't get a chance to heal her.

A sickening crunch announced that Kai had snapped Spinestalker's neck. The victory did not last long. A massive shadow passed over the raiders. They looked up as Sindragosa landed. The heroes were not prepared.

The Frost Queen's first move was to attack Kai. The massive, undead blue dragon was able to pick up the black drake in her jaws and throw him into the wall of the Citadel. He slumped to the ground, blood oozing from the bite wound. Next, she swatted Ash aside with her claw. Gary tried to fight back with a fireball, but Sindragosa just turned to the side and swung her powerful tail, snapping one of the thick spikes off the platform's edge. The spike, while too big to impale anyone, slammed into the mage and threw him against the wall.

"She's too powerful!" Tirion shouted. Kai picked himself up and scrambled for the doorway as the mortal heroes ran for it. Sindragosa wouldn't let them all get away, and she bit down on Kai's tail, picking him up and swinging him around before throwing him into the ground. Again he fled, this time getting through the doorway just as the Frost Queen slammed her jaws shut as far into the building as they would go. She pulled her face back and reached in with her talon, slamming the claw down right next to Misty. The raiders, now running for their lives, had finally been forced back.


	78. Plan B

"Tirion, we need to reinforce the areas we've already taken," Jaina said, "or we're essentially handing them back to the Scourge on a silver platter."

The old paladin nodded. "I'm already taking care of that, Jaina. The Argent forces are moving around as we speak and the black dragons are moving with them. The Scourge will not be able to reclaim what they've lost. We _will_ be able to hold Icecrown long enough to defeat Arthas."

Sure enough, the Argent Army was moving in from the cold and setting up their camps in the halls and chambers of the citadel.

"Are you sure you want us to do this, Tirion?" Zeliek asked.

"No need to worry, friend. We can hold out here for weeks if necessary. We have mages to conjure food and water, fortifications to keep us relatively safe, and enough soldiers to ensure everyone gets plenty of rest between shifts. If this sword is as powerful as Jaina says it could be – and I am not one to doubt her words! – then it could very well be our salvation. The only thing I am concerned about is how long it will take the Scourge to get themselves organized or flee the citadel. I doubt you will take long enough to allow that to become an issue. Go, now. Our hopes ride with you."

"We will return as soon as possible," Gary said.

XXX

"This seems somehow familiar, as though I should know its origins. You say you recovered this in the citadel? Most intriguing," the high elf said, "There are few who possess the ability to make such a blade. Perhaps they can tell us something about your find. There's no mistaking it – this hilt comes from a powerful, ancient weapon, but which one? I do not recall seeing or hearing of a sword with these markings, though I feel like I should know them, but that doesn't mean that all is lost.

Korialstrasz, better known as Krasus, has long been a friend to the quel'dorei and the Kirin Tor. With his vast knowledge and resources, he's certain to know something. Travel to the top of Wyrmrest Temple and seek his counsel, then report to Arcanist Tybalin inside the Silver Enclave in Dalaran."

Kai fidgeted nervously. They were going to report to the royal court of dragons once more.

XXX

The red dragon in his elven form gazed at the hilt. "Interesting. Someone else came by recently looking for a book on the same prismatic dragon blades."

The heroes exchanged nervous glances. "What kind of 'someone'?" Gary asked.

"A blood elf – a Sunreaver. I'm certain the book could identify this weapon, but you'll need to get it back. Kalecgos?"

"Yes, sir?" the blue-haired man said. The heroes did not recognize him from their first meeting with the Wyrmrest representatives.

"Will you help our visitors in their quest to identify this weapon?"

Kalecgos looked troubled. "Are you certain we should be helping these mortals? The blades, Korialstrasz… They were made a long time ago, when things were… different."

"You believe our allies will not be able to control the power of the sword?" the red dragon answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Our enemies once turned our strongest weapon against us. What makes you think the prismatic blades will be any different?"

"Mortal champions have long used these weapons to combat evil. I see no reason to keep the swords from them in this battle," Alexstrasza said.

"As you wish, my queen. I will not stand in their way, but I will keep a close watch," Kalecgos said, backing down immediately.

"As will we all," Korialstrasz said, "Please, mortal, speak with Arcanist Tybalin in Dalaran. He may be able to negotiate with the Sunreavers for access to the book."

XXX

The heroes met with Tybalin, who seemed quite interested. "The Sunreavers and Silver Covenant do not get along very well. I expect it may be difficult getting one to work with the other. You may have to _take_ the book."

"Let's hope it does not come to that," said Zaraia.

"Well, maybe if we sent Zara in to negotiate for us, they'd be more willing to play along, since she's a blood elf, too," Ash suggested.

"A good plan. Let's hope it works."

XXX

The elf Zaraia spoke to looked perplexed. "Book? I don't know anything about a book. If the other Sunreavers are doing something with a book of dragon blades, they're keeping it a secret. If this were official Sunreaver business, I'm certain I would know about it. Come. We'll check with the others."

No matter who they asked or what records they searched, they could find no information about the book. As Zaraia and her Sunreaver companion, Alanar, leafed through records of official Sunreaver inventory, finding nothing, he turned to her.

"I don't like this any more than you do. Something is going on, and it can't be good for our reputation. However, if the book has been taken without our orders to do so, it won't be hidden around here. Search the Underbelly – the _unsavory_ types like it down there. If you find someone with our tabard, bring him back here."

XXX

The heroes dragged the elf they'd found buying reagents off a smuggler back to Alanar, arms tied behind his back. Alanar searched through the items the man had with him.

"He had the book, but… These reagents... They're for necromantic spells…" The blood elf glared at the prisoner, "Have you been in contact with the Cult of the Damned?"

"Not _yet_," the prisoner spat.

Alanar pulled out a dagger and put it to the prisoner's throat. "What do they want with dragon blades?" he growled.

The prisoner gulped. "To reforge them into Scourge runeblades – Lana'thel once threw aside Quel'Delar, but now seeks to recover it – to remake it as the Lich King remade her."

"Lana'thel is dead," Gary said, "We killed her."

Alanar looked at the heroes. "The Sunreavers will deal with the Cult of the Damned and find the rest of the conspirators. You take the book back to whoever sent you."

XXX

Caladis turned through the pages of the book. "I knew the symbols on the blade were familiar. The weapon was most certainly forged by the dragons and gifted to one of the mortal races, but which blade is this, and how did it come to rest in Icecrown?" He stopped suddenly at a picture of a sword with a hilt nearly identical to the one the heroes had recovered; his jaw dropped. "_Can it be…?_" he whispered, "_Can it truly be…?_"


	79. In Soviet Azeroth, Sword Chooses You!

"_Quel'Delar,_" Caladis whispered, "the blade of Thalorien Dawnseeker…"

"Who?" Jessie asked.

"Thalorien Dawnseeker! He fought alongside Papa defending Silvermoon, but the Scourge killed him too…" Zaraia said.

"So that's what they were talking about…" James muttered. When questioned as to what he meant, he continued, "Back in the Scourge, some other death knights were discussing the blade that Lana'thel had taken up from a fallen defender. Apparently, seeing it as it had been during her life angered her, so she shattered it."

"And if the traitor was right, she changed her mind and wanted to reforge it, which would explain why she had the hilt!" Gary said, "It all makes sense now!"

"Precisely," Caladis replied, "We must restore Quel'Delar to its full glory."

"And how do you suggest we do this?"

"In the Pit of Saron, the Lich King's minions mined, processed, and smelted saronite ore – much like that your death knight friend wears, but more powerful."

"Infused saronite was far too valuable to ship across the sea to Acherus," James explained.

"Valuable, because of its strength! It is from this infused saronite that we shall reforge Quel'Delar."

XXX

The heroes returned to the pit, and began gathering saronite. Soon, they had enough to forge the blade. Gary took it to the forge where Garfrost had refined his weapons, climbed up, and then set to work. He had no skill as a blacksmith, but didn't need it. Prior to coming to the pit, he'd flown on Kai's back to the Wyrmrest Temple, where Alexstrasza had given him a dragon-blessed hammer which would do most of the work for him. Working with the drawing in the book as a guide and the hammer – which seemed to push itself to where he needed to hit the metal, as though an invisible hand were guiding him and helping to craft the sword – he was able to make a fairly good replica of the original sword.

Gary climbed down from the massive forge and then handed the weapon over to James. The death knight opened a death gate, and the heroes walked through to Acherus.

Those among them who were not death knights were glared at by all manner of undead. Acherus was not usually open to visitors. It was _their_ home, and they did not appreciate the presence of outsiders. Misty, in particular, was unwelcome – as a paladin, and an obvious one at that, she was out of her element in the necropolis. Yet, she was not the one who was most desperate to leave.

Zeliek shuddered upon entering, then shook his head violently. His gut felt tight, he found himself breathing rapidly despite not even needing air. His hands were shaking and his skin was tingling. Acherus was _far_ too similar to Naxxramas, and the memories came flooding back: the faces of innocents he'd been forced to kill – adventurers, peasants, _children_. The screams he'd heard constantly, the stench of rotting flesh, the constant feeling of Kel'Thuzad picking at his mind, and Blaumeux's constant harassment. For a moment, he felt he was trapped in the citadel again, being forced to serve the Lich King once more. Every fiber of his body screamed at him to _get out of there!_

_ No,_ he told himself, _this is not Naxxramas. This is Acherus. It's friendly to us. These are our allies. This is not Naxxramas. We're here on an important mission. This is not Naxxramas._

James propped the book up on the runeforge, then placed Quel'Delar in it. He studied the runes on the drawing, then raised the hammer.

"Wait," Kai said. He took his draconic form and walked over to the runeforge. "The original was a dragon blade. The new one must also be imbued with draconic power." He opened his mouth and breathed fire at the sword. When he stepped back, the blade was red-hot. James allowed it to cool – adding runes to a weapon, at least in the method he'd learned, was a cold-forging process.

Using the image as a guide, the death knight added runes to the prismatic blade.

XXX

"I- I don't understand! Tempering the sword should've restored the blade to its original condition. Yet it sits quietly, showing no signs of the power it should hold. What has happened here?" Caladis said.

"It…" Gary felt strange saying the words, but it had to be expressed "It has a will of its own. It keeps… I don't know, it's like it's pulling me toward Icecrown Citadel. Like it _wants_ to go there."

"Icecrown Citadel? Where in Icecrown Citadel?"

"… The Frozen Throne…"

There was a long, uneasy silence before Caladis spoke up again. "Dare you bring it where it wishes to go? It is not right that the sword should be this silent and this insistent, yet I fear that if you do not take the sword to its destination, we will never learn why."

"Uther would know," Zeliek said sadly. There was no hope of contacting Uther again, now that the Lich King would not leave his sword unguarded.

"Maybe Tirion does?" Misty suggested, "He's not… like Uther the Lightbringer, but he _is_ the wielder of the Ashbringer, and the closest thing we've got."

XXX

Tirion Fordring looked troubled as he turned the blade over slowly, examining it. "You have forged this blade from infused saronite, a metal of pure evil. Saronite, in its natural state, is still dangerous to all but the undead – free-willed or not – but _infused_ saronite is far worse. The power of the Lich King calls this weapon." He looked up at the heroes, very seriously, and handed Quel'Delar back to Gary. "Every moment you spend here, the sword absorbs the evil of this place, growing more powerful. You must take it far away from here and cleanse it."

"The Sunwell," Zaraia said, "Would dipping it in the Sunwell work?"

"It would indeed, young blood elf, but I doubt you will have access to such a place. You could certainly try, though."

"Thank you, Tirion. That is precisely what we will do," the human mage told him. Zaraia conjured up a portal to Silvermoon City, and the adventurers set out once more.

XXX

Zaraia led the heroes to the island northwest of the mainland, where she had lived until setting out on her adventures. She took them to a port where they persuaded the sailors to take them to Quel'Danas, the island to the north where the Sunwell stood. They sought out the Ranger-General of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing.

"_Admit you to the Sunwell? That's impossible!_ This is _not_ a place for tourists, travellers, or pilgrims!"

"We have reforged Quel'Delar," Gary protested, "It must be purified in the Sunwell's waters!"

Halduron did not look impressed. "If that weapon you carry is truly Quel'Delar, I _might_ be able to let you in. You know the history of the blade? It was carried by Thalorien Dawnseeker. Find his remains in the dead scar. If his spirit gives you its blessing, I'll let you in. Off you go." The elf waved his hand as though to shoo them away. He had no idea that the heroes would actually go through with his intended snipe hunt.

XXX

The nearly-skeletal remains of Thalorien, recognizable only by the dull armor the body still wore, lay on the ground where he fell. As the adventurers approached, Quel'Delar began to glow. The air around the heroes turned dark, twisted; it was clear they were entering some other place, some other dimension. The spirits of elves appeared, including Thalorien.

"We must defend the Sunwell from the enemy at all costs. I am ordering you to withdraw to the Sunwell proper to help prepare the defenses. I will make my stand here and buy you as much time as I am able. Use it well and make our prince proud. It has been a great honor to fight beside you in defense of our land and our people," Thalorien's spirit ordered. In his hand was the original Quel'Delar, nearly identical to the sword that the heroes had so carefully reforged. The rest of the spirits left the area. Dawnseeker noticed the adventurers, but didn't seem to see the new Quel'Delar. "You are not my soldiers… I cannot order you to leave nor to stay, so what you do is your call, but if you so desire, will you make a stand with me against the Scourge?"

"Of course," James said. Somehow, Thalorien could not see that he was a death knight like the invaders. The heroes prepared for battle. A man rode toward them on a dark horse – a death knight of the third war, or at least, a vision of him.

"Listen well, Scourge defilers. None of you will reach the Sunwell so long as I stand!" Thalorien shouted.

"You will fall as your lands and your city have before you. My lord will win a great victory here, and none will remember your name!"

_Only half-right,_ Zaraia thought. Visions of ghouls, zombies, and crypt fiends appeared before them, and combat erupted. Thalorien's Quel'Delar sliced through the undead with ease. The mages burned down the attackers and the paladins consecrated the ground. Wave after wave fell until Morlen, the death knight, joined the battle.

"Enough! I shall kill you myself!"

The death knight charged, blade held high. His mount reared up as it moved toward Dawnseeker, and then brought its hooves down, as its rider aimed his blade at Thalorien's heart – the motion that killed him. Not this time, though. Misty leapt out in front of him, shield raised, and deflected the blow. Thalorien darted out from behind her, now able to get a clear shot at Morlen, and with a running jump, he plunged his weapon into the death knight's chest. The fallen Scourge, Morlen, and his mound dissipated like smoke.

Thalorien blinked and looked around. The darkness was clearing as the heroes and the spirit of Dawnseeker returned to their normal world. The ghostly elf looked at his hands, then back at the heroes, suddenly able to see what he had not before.

"I… was not supposed to survive that. Why has this happened? Why have you come?" He looked at the blade Gary had with him. "Quel'Delar… you have the sword! I don't know how, but the blade has chosen you to be its new wielder. Take it with my blessing, and wield it against the Scourge as I once did." He took off a ghostly necklace with a pendant in the shape of a bird. "Here." He held it out to the heroes.

"Thank you," the mage said, accepting the pendant.

"Go now," Thalorien urged them. His spirit then faded away.

XXX

"I confess that I did not expect Thalorien's spirit to recognize you as the heir to Quel'Delar, but I defer to his judgment. You may enter the Sunwell, but I remind you that you are a guest in our most sacred of precincts, and you should act accordingly."

XXX

The doors to the Sunwell chamber opened. The blood elves gathered around it stood on the tips of their toes, pushed each other aside, and generally strained to catch a glimpse of the new bearer of Quel'Delar.

Trumpets sounded and an elf cleared the way. "My Lords and Ladies, I present to you Gary Oak, bearer of Quel'Delar!"

Gary and his friends approached the Sunwell. He knelt and dipped the sword into the glowing pool of golden light, holding it there for a moment, then he stood, raising the blade above his head. It _shone_ with such brilliance, looking so triumphant there, that all the elves simultaneously burst into cheers.

When the blade stopped glowing, the mage lowered it and looked around. All those elves, staring up at him with awe in their green eyes. He could not stop himself from grinning broadly at all of them.

"It is indeed Quel'Delar. I had not thought I'd live to see the day when Thalorien Dawnseeker's legendary sword would be restored to us," Lor'themar Theron said, walking over to the mage, "Despite being an outsider, you are a hero and an inspiration to the sin'dorei, Gary, a symbol of our endurance in the face of tragedy and treachery."

The Grand Magister at his side, Rommath, nodded. "The regent speaks truly. Thalorien's sacrifice could not prevent the fall of this very Sunwell. When you found the sword, it was broken and abandoned, much like Silvermoon after Kael'thas's betrayal. Let Quel'delar be a sign that we will never give up, that we will face any enemy without fear!"

Lor'themar reached out to take the sword from Gary. "Thank you for restoring this blade to its rightful owners." As his hand closed around the hilt, there was a flash of light and Lor'themar was thrown across the room.

"_What treachery is this?_" a guard shouted. Multiple armed blood elves surrounded the mage.

"_Lor'themar, you should know better!_" Rommath scolded, "Stand down, soldiers; that was not Gary's doing." Some other blood elves helped the regent to his feet. "Quel'Delar is not chosen; the blade chooses its own wielder!"

Lor'themar rubbed the back of his head. "So it seems. I do not know why the sword has chosen an outsider, but if Gary is meant to be the wielder, so be it. This blade has been returned to us for a reason, my friends.

Now is the time to rally behind the bearer of Quel'Delar and avenge the destruction of Silvermoon and the Sunwell!"


	80. Dragonslaying for Fun and Profit

Misty's practice sword hit the ground and slid to the feet of the nearby crusaders, spinning as it did so. Gary lightly jabbed her chest with the tip of the crude wooden "Quel'Delar" replica he was using to practice his sword skills. It was very rushed training, but every moment was intense and he struggled to learn it all as quickly as possible.

"That'll do," Zeliek said, stepping in, "Gary is a mage. His main weapon will be his spells, and failing that, his wand. I believe he's got enough of a grasp on the basics to get by. We can't afford to waste more time on training."

Tirion nodded. "The crusaders can only hold the line so long. It's time to face Sindragosa again." He took the wooden "Quel'Delar" and put it aside, exchanging it for the real thing.

The entire party regrouped and headed to the frostwing halls. "Do you really think this sword will make a difference?" Gary asked, looking at Quel'Delar skeptically.

"I don't know. I really don't know," Jaina answered, walking by his side. Her presence was comforting to him; he looked up to her as his mentor. "I do know this: you are incredibly powerful. If that sword does increase your spellcasting… Well, let me simply say that you have the potential to be the most powerful sorcerer Azeroth has ever known, Gary. You have the highest power-to-age ratio I've ever seen. Whether the sword helps or not, I have faith in your abilites."

Tirion nodded. "All of these adventurers are exceptional. Take the paladin, Misty, for example. It's extremely rare for someone so young to have such a strong connection to the Light. In the event of my death, it is her I would choose to be the next wielder of the Ashbringer."

"Shouldn't the _Ash_bringer go to _Ash_ instead?" Gary asked, jokingly. Uneasy laughter ran through the group.

"Why is it when he makes jokes, you laugh, but when I make jokes, Sylvanas whacks me?" Zeliek asked. Sylvanas replied by punching his shoulder; even she had a sense of humor.

With the need for humor out of everyone's systems, the serious attitude returned. The heroes went past the barricade of wooden spikes the Argent Army had set up, back out into the Scourge territory… Sindragosa's territory.

The twenty-nine raiders stood on the great dragoness' platform. They looked around – she was nowhere to be seen. Had they chased her off? Couldn't have, she'd nearly wiped out the whole team. Where, then, was Sindragosa? She couldn't be far away, as they could hear her wings flapping, but couldn't place where.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Rex was yanked away from the others by his cape. He yelped in shock; the others spun to look. Sindragosa was standing right behind them! She reared up onto her hind legs and she shook her head back and forth, shaking the paladin like a ragdoll, tossing him into the air, and catching him in her jaws, her myriad sharp teeth piercing his armor as though it were little more than tinfoil. Swinging her massive head, Sindragosa threw the Blood Knight across the platform. He slammed into the ground and tumbled, leaving splashes of blood in his wake. The dragoness had ambushed the heroes.

Ash, James, Victoria, and Kroll ran to the front to hold the dragon off. Wendy, Misty, Sir Zeliek, Tirion, and Selma formed a line behind them, ready to heal them through whatever the dragoness put them through. All the pokemon who were not yet on the field were called into combat – it would take everything they had to bring down the Frost Queen. Kai took his dragon form and took to the sky. Sindragosa swatted him away with her talon.

Sylvanas ran as far away as she could, firing arrows as she retreated. Atal'shi, Zin'ja, Starwisp, and Meowth joined her. "Ready! Fire! Ready! Fire!" the Banshee Queen commanded.

Sindragosa would not have any of this nonsense with the "pain sponges" in front of her. With a swipe of her talon, she ripped Ash's armor open and tore a huge gash through his chest, but Tirion healed him. Instantly making the connection, the dragon thundered past the front line and charged at the healers, who scattered. Tirion was not fast enough; he swung the Ashbringer at the dragoness' leg, leaving a Light-infused scar half a foot deep across her foreleg, but she swiped at him with her claws, leaving four deep cuts. Fordring collapsed in a pool of his own blood. Misty tried to heal him, but the dragoness had a chilling aura that inflicted injuries on all beings near her. The paladin couldn't afford to heal the fallen Argent Commander, instead focusing her efforts on keeping the rest of the raiders up.

The melee fighters ran in next, as Sindragosa was distracted. Brave Lorien deftly climbed the undead dragon's hind leg and began attacking her wings. Anando swung his holy runeblade at the frost wyrm's ribs. Gaznick tried to climb the wyrm's tail, but this mistake proved fatal. With a sweep of her tail, Sindragosa threw the gnome off her platform, and he fell to a swift death on the icy ground below. Rosa took the form of a cat, leaping onto Sindragosa's neck.

The snorlax and absol fiercely attacked the dragon. Where once they had been battlers, Azeroth had turned them into killers. They were battle-hardened and ready to destroy their foe – but she was ready to destroy them. Absol bravely attacked the dragon's face.

Sindragosa reeled about, trying to get the pokemon off! Lorien fell off her back, and retreated to recover from the piercing chill that came from the dragon's bones. Absol clawed wildly at the wyrm's face as the spellcasters took advantage of the time to unload everything they had into the dragon. Magic of every kind streamed up, empowered and quickened. Their window of opportunity didn't last long; Sindragosa managed to toss the pokemon into the air as he lost his grip on her snout. She snapped her jaws shut on the creature, nearly killing him. She flung him over her shoulder like a piece of trash.

"We're getting our asses kicked!" Wendy cried out in despair.

"I know," William said, with the most emotion in his voice yet, "just _keep fighting, by the elements, keep fighting! It's our only hope!_"

Sindragosa roared loudly and arcane magic swirled around her. The spellcasters cried out in pain as their own spells blew up in their faces, literally. Their mana was burning them! Those with fast reflexes stopped casting right away, but for Zaraia, it was too late. She'd just cast her most powerful spell, and the force of her own unchained magic knocked her out cold.

"_Zaraia!_" Ash shouted, rushing to the fallen mage's side. Anando also ran to his daughter. Together they pulled her out of the way, hiding the limp elf behind a spike to protect her while they returned to the hellish battle that raged on near them. Had they finally met their match?

Sindragosa took to the sky, roaring fiercely. She spat ice at several of the heroes – Anando, Jaina, Ash, and Victoria were locked in tombs of frost and shadow; they were not frozen to the core but would be killed if nobody got them out quickly. Nobody had the time, though, as the dragoness took in a deep breath.

"_Take cover!_" Kai shouted, diving off the platform to escape. The remaining heroes hid behind their frozen companions just in time as Sindragosa blasted everything in sight with her frigid breath. As she ended the attack, Kai distracted her, and the heroes began trying to shatter the ice that held their companions. One by one, the blocks broke and their prisoners fell to the ground, gasping for air and trembling from the cold.

The brave drake, dwarfed by the great wyrm, threw himself at her, trying to give his mortal friends time to recover. He unleashed flames on her face, disorienting her. She lashed out wildly, tearing a massive gash in his wing. He clawed back at her but was forced to retreat. He flew straight toward one of the walls, then banked sharply, trying to get Sindragosa to crash, but she simply angled her claws toward the wall and absorbed the impact, launching herself off the citadel to chase the younger dragon. Kai was flapping his wings as hard as he could, tearing his wing membranes even more as he struggled to get away. It had been black dragons who had killed Sindragosa to begin with, and now she intended to get revenge.

On the ground, the healers finished healing up those who were still in fighting condition and went on to trying to heal the fallen – the Frost Queen would not let them. She abandoned her attack on Kai long enough to blast the mortals with ice. Even fully healed, they were nearly killed by the attack, and it accomplished what it was supposed to – prevent the healers from rebuilding their forces.

Sindragosa continued looking for Kai. She flew over the edge of the platform – surprise! Kai shot up from below, attacking her belly and wings on the way by. She flew up after him; he dove, spun, and flipped, but she never lost track of him. He attempted to turn away but she turned first. The cry echoed across Icecrown as Sindragosa sunk her teeth and talons into the black drake. They crashed into the platform and tumbled; the Frost Queen hauled herself to her feet. Kai scrambled to escape, spreading his wings, but it was too late. The frost wyrm bit down on his back, then lifted him and threw him against the wall of Icecrown Citadel. He fell, hitting a spike on the platform and ripping his hip wide open. Dragon blood dripped off the edge of the platform.

"Where's Lorien?" Kroll asked, trying to locate the undead rogue, "She was on Sindragosa's back!"

"I'm here!" Lorien called out. She was clinging to the slippery walls of the citadel, where she'd landed after jumping off the dragon's back. Sindragosa's head swung around to face her. The undead woman gasped and began trying to climb, but she was far too slow. The dragon grabbed her leg in her teeth and swung her around. Lorien grabbed one of Sindragosa's teeth, but it snapped out of the dragon's mouth and the rogue crashed into the ground. The dragoness turned to a new target. She stepped on Lorien purely by chance, impaling her with a hind claw.

The dragoness charged at Misty, trying to snap her jaws shut on the girl. The paladin ran for her life, but in her panic, failed to look where she was going. She skidded to a halt just in time; some pebbles she'd kicked tumbled off the edge of the building. She looked over her shoulder – Sindragosa opened her terrifying maw!

A blast of fire hit the dragon, hard. She growled and turned to look at Gary. "Come here! Pick on someone of your own power level! Come on!" The mage brandished Quel'Delar in a brave attempt at a threatening display. To the massive Frost Wyrm, it was merely pathetic. She roared at him and opened her mouth to blast him with ice – only to be blasted herself! She stumbled to the side, shook herself, and tried to see what had hit her. Misty's vaporeon was bristling with rage. It let loose another powerful jet of water, forcing Sindragosa back another step. The dragon roared in fury and responded with her own icy blast. When the frost cleared, the pokemon was lying limp at the edge of the platform, tail hanging over the edge.

Starwisp remembered what had happened with Sapphiron and took a shot at a one-in-a-million maneuver. As the dragon charged toward her group, she did not run. The night elf stood like a stone wall, taking aim at the oncoming beast's eyesocket; she fired the arrow and it hit its mark! Sindragosa reeled backwards, stumbling around in a panic. She reared onto her hind legs, flapping her wings madly and trying to rip the arrow out of her eye with her forelegs, tail thrashing behind her. She lost her balance and fell backwards, narrowly missing her attackers. They scattered and resumed the attack. The dragon thrashed on the ground and managed to tear the arrow out of her eyesocket, rolled over, and scrambled toward the elf, her claws ripping chunks out of the stone platform. Her tail sweeped this way and that, knocking James off his feet, then slamming into him again and tossing him against a spike. He picked himself up, wincing, and grabbed his runeblade just before it would have slid off the edge of Icecrown Citadel.

Swinging her head like a wrecking ball, Sindragosa knocked Starwisp into the air. The elf tried to fire a shot at the dragon from the sky, but was unable, and came crashing to the ground with an audible crunch. The Frost Queen threw her head back and roared. Chains of ice yanked the heroes toward her as she began to glow bright blue. The attackers scrambled to escape, but some were too slow! The snorlax was unable to move quickly enough. William tripped over a piece of rock Sindragosa had clawed up. Gary knew he couldn't escape and put up a mana shield mere moments before the energy the dragon had collected exploded in an ice nova. The shaman did not get up, and the pokemon also collapsed.

Victoria and Kroll tried to protect their teammates but were merely swatted aside. Kroll got up and charged at Sindragosa only to be snapped up. He slammed his weapon into the roof of her mouth – screaming in pain, the dragon opened her mouth and blasted ice skyward. The orc and his weapon were thrown from the dragoness' jaws by the attack. Victoria, Ash, and James alone were left to defend those still standing. Their team had been shattered by the dragon; their morale failing.

James took a chance at raising that morale. "_If we're going to die, let's do it in a blaze of glory! Attack! __**For the Highlord!**_"

The death knight charged. Ash looked at the fallen orc, then back at the dragon. Brandishing his swords, he shouted "_Lok'tar ogar!_"

"For the King! For Stormwind!" Victoria yelled. The warriors followed the death knight's example. Sindragosa pulled her head back like a startled cat. The mortals had not yet given up? They were regaining their confidence!

No. Not on her watch. The hope was false. Sindragosa let out a piercing howl, and charged right back at the attackers. She swatted Ash aside with her claw, reared up and brought her talons down with a thud, slamming one claw down, missing her mark but still hitting James, ripping his chest open rather than crushing him. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood.

Zeliek was able to get a healing spell in on the death knight, and Misty managed to save Ash's life between frantically healing everyone in sight.

Sindragosa lowered her head and stared into Victoria's eyes. The warrior girl stood her ground, stomping defiantly and waving her weapon. She _refused _to move; she would never turn and run, she'd never flee and leave her friends in danger, not as long as she stand on her own two feet! The dragoness intended to fix that. The dragon opened her jaws and roared at the warrior, who replied with a shout of her own and lunged at the undead beast. Sindragosa breathed ice at her, but she defended herself with her shield. When the barrage of frost ended, she lunged, cracking Sindragosa's snout with her sword, embedding it deep within the fragile nasal cavity. The Frost Queen screamed and went into a frenzy, clawing wildly at her attacker, mad with pain. One of her talons ripped Victoria's thigh open, knocking the girl to the side. A smear of blood marked her path as she slipped off the edge of the citadel. She grabbed one of the spikes.

"_Victoria!_" Tomas yelped, running over to help her. He tripped as he tried to dive out of the way as the dragon thrashed, trying to get the sword out of her nose. He scooted quickly backwards as another claw slammed into the ground. Sindragosa turned and the boy ducked narrowly under the tail. Victoria's hands were slipping!

It looked clear! The priest dove for the warrior's hand!

Too late! Victoria lost her grip on the frozen citadel's spike, and Tomas' hands shut on empty air as the warrior fell to her death.

"_No!_ _Victoria!_" Metal clattered against stone as Sindragosa dislodged the sword. A chain of ice yanked Tomas backwards. The entire group found themselves under the Frost Queen's massive form as she began to glow again. They scrambled to escape once more. Rapidash misjudged her distance and was greatly injured by the blast of ice. Sindragosa took to the sky again, blasting the heroes with frost.

Rapidash, Jessie, Pikachu, and Zin'ja were encased in ice. The heroes rushed to get behind the frost blocks as the great undead wyrm breathed her evil ice at them as she had before. Gary wasn't able to get completely behind the frost block with Misty, and was thrown backwards but not gravely injured by the small blast he did take. She healed him and they immediately began trying to free their friend. Jessie, Zin'ja, and pikachu were unlocked from the frost tombs, but for the rapidash, it was too late. Sindragosa landed and slammed her tail into the block of ice, breaking it and the creature it held within. Shards of ice two feet long went flying. Starwisp's bird narrowly avoided being hit. Sir Zeliek tried to get out of the way but he just wasn't fast enough.

He slammed into the wall, the shard of ice through his chest, pinning him to the citadel wall. He tried to rip it out but couldn't. Blood was dripping from around the shard, his breastplate digging into his chest. He tried not to breathe, but he couldn't help the reflexes caused by the blood pooling in his lungs and began to cough. Dark blood ran down the corner of his mouth. He looked up as the dragon towered over him. His vision was somewhat dim. He could feel the necromantic magic that kept him undead beginning to fade away. Had death finally come to claim him, now, when he so desperately needed to live? He lifted his hand and shot a weakened holy shock at the monster in defiance.

"_No!_" Misty shouted, running out to defend her teacher. Wings and a crown of light materialized. She threw a powerful exorcism at Sindragosa, followed by a judgement and a holy shock. Sindragosa roared as Misty plunged her sword into the ground, consecrating it. There, a lone paladin stood between Sindragosa and her prey, armor glinting brilliantly, cape flowing majestically as she stood strong. The dragon roared again and brought her claw down forcefully. Misty crumpled to the floor under the beast's talon.

"_**Misty!**_" Gary shouted, eyes wide.

Sindragosa lifted her claw and shrieked at the heroes again. But the paladin did not stay down… "You… will never win, Sindr-… Sindragosa…." Misty, trembling and battered, used her sword to help stand. She leaned on the blade, weakened by the attack. She cast her most powerful healing ability on herself, restoring her full strength as well as some of her mana. "I am a paladin. A force of righteousness. I exist to kill things like you. I believe I can command the Light. I know, deep inside, that what I'm doing is right. And as long as I believe that… I am nigh impossible to kill." Misty sheathed her sword and held up her hand. The entire platform was lit with a golden glow as a hammer made entirely of the Light formed in the paladin's hand. With a shout, she threw it into Sindragosa's ribcage. The dragon screamed in agony, rearing up and flapping her wings, then collapsed, defeated, to the side with a ground-shaking thud.


	81. Arthas: The Final Confrontation

The recovery was slow and sorrowful on the bloodstained platform. The heroes had won, yes, but it was a hollow victory. The healers were able to save most of their companions from the brink of death.

Tirion, having been healed by Selma, knelt by the red haired elf as she lay unconscious in Ash's arms. Vaku and Anando stood by as the paladin healed the girl. "I will not forget this, Tirion," the death knight said, voice broken with worry for his daughter and respect for Fordring.

Selma healed Gary's pokemon while Wendy and the first she'd saved – Rex – mourned a newly discovered death. The Blood Knight held the priestess close while she sobbed over the corpse of her rapidash, for whom the healing had come too late.

Tomas, also crying, healed Kroll, but was unable to save the snorlax. It died just as he was trying to heal it.

The two druids worked together, healing Kai. The dragon was, at first, unresponsive, and it appeared that he had been lost, but he returned from the brink of death. Iridi and her newly-restored fellow shaman helped the weakened night elf to her feet after healing her wounds.

James and Jessie took hold of the shard of ice that pinned Zeliek in place. "This will hurt," the death knight warned. The raiders then yanked with all their strength. Sir Zeliek gasped in pain as the ice was ripped out of his chest. He put his hand over the gaping wound and nearly lost consciousness. Misty knelt by his side, her hands already glowing with a healing spell.

"Don't shut your eyes, Zeliek, or you'll never open them again!"

He mouthed the word 'trying' in response. Gary and Jaina helped fix the massive hole in his armor, and the younger paladin healed her teacher. He shut his eyes.

"Zel?" Gary asked, "Zeliek? Say something!"

"I'll be fine," the undead paladin said, "give me a moment…"

"Good. Heal yourself from here," Misty said, standing again, "I have others to revive…"

The vaporeon and Lorien were healed to full strength, and everyone gathered around a fire that William made. The mages handed out food and water. There was no joking, no joy. Even Zeliek didn't try to lighten the mood. All was silent in somber memory of the slain: Gaznick, Victoria, and two brave pokemon. The only sounds were the crackling of the flames, the howling of the wind, and the sobbing of grieving heroes. Wendy and Rex clung to each other, tears silently rolling down their cheeks. Tomas folded his arms on his knees and buried his face in them, crying for the fallen warrior. Her now-abandoned dragonair wrapped itself around his shoulders, whimpering pitifully. Rosa cried quietly, stroking her dead pokemon's battered body. Anando wrapped his arms around his daughter, mentally thanking the Light that she was not among the fallen. She whimpered into her father's chest. Misty also began to cry for the fallen, burying her face in Gary's shoulder, then he lost it too and tears started rolling down his cheeks into the paladin's hair. One thought lingered at the edges of each hero's mind: _what if I had done more?_ And yet, they knew, deep inside, that they could not have done more. They did all they could; the deaths of their companions were inevitable.

"This is Arthas' fault," James growled, "So many lives taken by him and his disgusting minions." The death knight pointed his runeblade at his companions. "Get up! We're going to make him pay for every life he's stolen…"

"Yes, we must avenge the fallen. Standing around and weeping will do us no good," Sylvanas agreed.

"Enough. This is the hour of the final confrontation! Rally around me and we'll put an end to the Lich King's reign, once and for all!" Gary said.

XXX

Tirion, Jaina, Sylvanas, and Gary led the way to the Frozen Throne. Arthas looked at them for a moment and then stood, cracking his knuckles. "_So...the Light's vaunted justice has finally arrived. Shall I lay down Frostmourne and throw myself at your mercy, Fordring?_" The Lich King grinned sarcastically under his helmet.

"We will grant you a swift death, Arthas. More than can be said for the thousands you've tortured and slain," Tirion replied bitterly.

"_You will learn of that first hand. When my work is complete, you will beg for mercy – and I will deny you. Your anguished cries will be testament to my unbridled power._"

"You expect us to go down without a fight?" Gary asked, "You've got another thing coming! _For the Alliance! For the Horde! For the Argent Crusade!_"

The Lich King threw an icy spell at Tirion, freezing him in place. "_I'll keep you alive to witness the end, Fordring. I would not want the Light's greatest champion to miss seeing this wretched world remade in my image._"

Arthas began charging toward the heroes, who bravely charged in return. He swung Frostmourne at Kroll, who parried the blow, struggling to stop the runed weapon. The archers readied their arrows.

"_Fire!_" Starwisp called out. The arrows zipped through the air. Some bounced harmlessly off the Lich King's armor, others pierced it – barely.

"_None will escape the Scourge. You will all serve me._" The Lich King unleashed a dark spell on the entire raiding party.

"Not if we have anything to say about it, Arthas!" Zeliek countered, beginning to heal everyone he could, trying to outdo the dark magic, "The Light will triumph!"

"If you can heal yourself, do so; makes it easier for us," Misty said, selectively healing only those who were not capable of doing it themselves. The raiders followed her command unquestioningly.

"_Rise at your master's call!_" Arthas parried James' attack with enough strength to throw the death knight backwards, then smoothly transitioned into disarming Ash, who backed away to retrieve his weapons. The Lich King thrust Frostmourne into the sky. Bits of stone cracked away from the platform on which the heroes stood, and ghouls crawled out. The stone returned to its original position after the undead were out.

"Where'd they come from!" Jessie asked, shocked.

"Magic," Rosa growled. The cat druid changed shape into a massive bear. "I will handle them!" The grizzly bear barreled forward, smacking the ghouls around with her great paws and letting out a battle roar.

"_Attack harder! Fight like you've never fought before!_" Vaku shouted at his fellows, putting more effort into his attacks than ever. The Lich King seemed to more or less shrug off everything they threw at him! A myriad spells slammed into him and dissipated, causing little harm.

"_The plague shall claim you all…_ _You cannot escape. You fight a hopeless battle._" Panic erupted in the heroes as they realized a necrotic plague was spreading among them.

"_Cleanse it off, cleanse it off!_" Rex yelped, backing away from the Lich King to help the others remove it. No matter what they did, it just jumped from one person to another. Then, somebody figured it out.

"Cleanse it near the ghouls!" Jessie ordered. A quick scan of the room let her identify those needing to be cleansed. "Everyone but Rosa stand away from the ghouls! Zin'ja, get in there to be cleansed, then leave."

"Since when have you been a leader, Jessie?" James asked, dodging Frostmourne and getting a powerful attack in on Arthas' side – the blow left a small dent in the armor. The warlock ignored him and kept chain-casting shadowbolts while calling out names. She missed the wind serpent, whose natural green color masked the sickly green color the plague gave to its victims. It never got a turn to be cleansed, but kept fighting to the bitter end, fiercely loyal to its master's command. It was a frenzy of fangs at Arthas' back til the very moment it dropped dead out of the sky.

Arthas opened a death gate, through which an undead vrykul stumbled. It roared and ran to the warlock, picking her up by the throat and squeezing. Her strangled cry caught the attention of her death knight teammate.

"Excuse me. Handle the Lich King for a moment," he said, simply falling back while Kroll, Rex, and Ash were left to deal with Arthas.

The vrykul let out a similar strangled cough and dropped Jessie as it was yanked off its feet and held up by its throat. It struggled to escape. The warlock gasped for air and looked up at her rescuer. James stood calmly behind the vrykul, hand raised and channeling black magic, hair and cape being blown around in the blizzard that howled around the Frozen Throne. "How do you like it?" he asked. He glanced over his shoulder. "Someone with the plague, get over here! We need to transfer it; I can't hold this thing forever!"

As if on cue, the vrykul roared and broke free of the strangulate spell, enraged by the attack. It stomped the ground, creating a shockwave that blasted James off his feet. He winced. It was Misty and Sylvanas who came to the rescue. Sylvanas fired a shot with dark venom on it to slow and weaken the vrykul, while the paladin, who had the plague herself, boldly charged right into her foe, shield held high. She dispelled the plague and it leapt to her enemy, weakening it enough that after a short melee, she was able to kill it.

Another round of dark magic, and the healers were once again pushing their limits as they tried to keep everyone up. The Lich King shrugged off the attackers as he moved to the center of the platform.

Rosa destroyed the last ghoul. "I am plagued," the bear said. Rex responded to her call for dispelling. This time, the plague did not jump.

"_I shall freeze you from within,_" Arthas chuckled, slamming Frostmourne into the ground in a twisted variation on a consecration. Blasts of ice, like those Sindragosa had displayed, hit the heroes, who fled to the outer ring of the circular platform. Dark spirits howled as they appeared and began to attack the heroes. The hunters shot arcane-imbued arrows at them, fleeing as the spirits followed them.

Espeon really shone at this point. Channeling psychic energy into the spirits, she weakened them considerably. Charmeleon finished them off with his fire breath.

The ground began to crack. Arthas was holding Frostmourne above his head. Dark magic leapt from the tip of the blade to the ground. "_Watch as the world around you… crumbles._"

A large chunk of stone fell off the outer ring. Mary tried to jump to the stable ground but she was too far away and too late. Her scream echoed as she fell to her death. Her felhound barked as it tumbled with her. Espeon cried out for her master. More ground crumbled and fell. Jaina blinked to safety as the ground under her fell away. The ground below Kai gave out, and he scrambled to get farther away from the center, so he would have room to fly. He was able to get far enough away to spread his wings and soar to safety. The rest of the heroes made it into the middle two rings. The Lich King laughed at them, delighting in their terror.

"_Val'kyr, your master calls!_" The heroes looked around, trying to locate the incoming Scourge minion or minions. The val'kyr flew up from below the platform, taking them by surprise as she grabbed Atal'shi.

"Join your precious pet in death!" she said, lifting the troll and carrying her toward the edge of the citadel. The huntress struggled and kicked, trying to free herself, but it was no use. Zin'ja took aim, firing a slowing shot at the flying woman. The val'kyr moved less quickly but did not stop; she completely ignored the attack and kept flying. The spellcasters turned their attention to her and began shooting fireballs, arcane missiles, and anything else they could think of, but it was too late. The val'kyr threw Atal'shi off the cliff, cackling madly.

A black pool of shadows formed under Tomas. He and Wendy moved quickly to get away from it. Another one popped up at the edge of the room, where Roc was standing. The moonkin quickly escaped the dark pool.

Ash parried Frostmourne as the Lich King tried to kill him, but was unable to completely stop the runeblade, which dug at least an inch into his shoulder, through his armor. Gary was in the middle of casting a fireball when the val'kyr lifted him off the ground.

"I have an idea!" Iridi called out.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" William asked. The two shamans rushed to the edge of the platform and began channeling a spell to raise the stones that had fallen back up to where they had been by manipulating both the earth and the air. It took tremendous concentration and nearly drained them of their mana, but they locked the stones into place just as the val'kyr – which the others had again failed to kill – dropped the mage. He landed harmlessly on the platform. The Lich King cast another spell on everyone present, but the healers had no time to save them; irritated at the undoing of his spell, returned to the center to repeat it, but not before trying to kill the heroes – still gathered in the center – with his frost aura again. Most were hurt badly by the attack as they fled. The healers struggled to save their friends.

Meowth glanced over his shoulder and saw the val'kyr swooping in again. "Not dis time." He stood his ground, drew his arrow back, and let a perfectly-aimed shot strike her out of the sky.

Failing to kill the raiders with his icy spell, Arthas cracked the ground, and the heroes rushed inward. Moh'ra tried to run to her master, but the ground caved under her. She shrieked and jumped, grabbing the edge of the platform and scrambling up – she nearly made it, when that stone fell, too! The raptor roared in terror as she plummeted from the spire, disappearing into the fog. It was at this point that the healers finally had a chance to save their companions from the dark magic. Aeroth dropped out of the sky, weakened by the evil spell. The healers would not get to him! Starwisp rushed to her pet and – like in the Undercity – transferred some of her own life force into him, demonstrating the bond between elf and owl.

Roc did not try to escape the crumbling ground, instead trying to heal anyone he could before his piece of stone fell away. When it did, he turned into a bird and flew back up.

The Lich King then summoned more spirits to attack the raiders. Now, he changed his own attack plan as well. "_Frostmourne Hungers…_" Completely ignoring Ash, Kroll, James, and Rex, he selected a target at random – one of the pokemon would be a good appetizer for the feast of souls Frostmourne was about to experience. The abandoned dragonair locked eyes with the Lich King, then flew toward him, breathing fire. He put up one hand to shield his eyes, but didn't react otherwise. It coiled around him, for a moment seeming as though it would actually win the confrontation! It held his arms tightly by his sides, preventing him from attacking – until he forced his way out of the pokemon's coils. It growled at him and lunged again, but Arthas was too fast, and simply lopped the poor creature's head off. Its soul was drained into the weapon.

For a moment, all organization collapsed. The Lich King was doing whatever he pleased, and the spirits were running amok. Survival, for this group, had always relied on having some degree of control over their opponents. Now they were little more than sheep being herded this way and that.

Misty glanced to the side at Gary. She could almost see the thoughts rushing through his mind as he glanced all over the room, formulating a plan as best he could. Then he put it into action. "Hunters! Deal with the spirits! Move clockwise around the platform! Keep the spirits' attention on you, and slow them down with whatever you have – slowing shots, ice traps, I don't care! Just drag them around the edge of the platform and pick them off! We'll handle the Lich King!"

Ash tried to regain some degree of control over Arthas, but the best he could do was get in the way. The others who usually fought by his side were scattered, confused and unsure of how to deal with Arthas completely ignoring them. Ash stood alone, swiping both blades at his enemy in a frenzied attempt to hold him back. He did succeed in slowing the Lich King down, but he could not hold him back. He saw something out of the corner of his eye, and glanced over. James was fighting next to him, trying to hold Arthas back! Rex joined them, then Kroll. Forming a semi-circle of blades in front of the Lich King, they could keep him mostly where they wanted him. He could not plow through all four of them, and had to spend his time actively responding to their attacks – if he tried to attack one, the other three would tear him apart.

Selma broke from healing to strike Arthas with a column of holy fire, calling it out of the sky like a meteor. Wincing, the unholy King took a step back away from the heroes. A fireball hit him, then a frostfire bolt, moonfire, shadowbolts, arcane blasts. Arthas stumbled forward – the melee fighters had gotten behind him. Lorien and Anando were able to attack him, and the death knight's runeblade had forced him forward. Uttering a wordless yell, the Lich King lashed out, stabbing Kroll. The orc slumped to the ground, and his soul was devoured by the evil sword. Ash was able to get a couple good attacks in, piercing Arthas' armor and leaving several large gashes. With an opening in the circle, Arthas charged both to escape the assault and to empower Frostmourne with more souls.

XXX

The orc spirit found himself in an endless field of blue mist. He couldn't see the ground, any form of walls, or sky. It was miserable and cold, but his ears perked at the sound of battle. Stumbling through the fog, he saw the source of the noise. Shades or wraiths of some sort were fighting with a heroic-looking spirit: King Terenas Menethil II, father and victim of Arthas.

Behind him, another hero helped fight off the wraiths, using what little Light would answer his call within Frostmourne's spirit dimension. Uther knew the time of the Lich King's fall was near, and he intended to help.

In a frenzy above them, a serpentine creature helped Terenas and Uther – the dragonair's spirit lived on and fought in its master's memory.

"Terenas," Uther's spirit said, "another hero has fallen."

The King of Lordaeron sighed sadly as he fought. "There is hope yet, both that we might be freed from this eternal prison, and that you can make a difference in the fight! Aid us in destroying these tortured souls! _Together we will loosen Frostmourne's hold and weaken the Lich King from within!_"

"Aye," a female voice said, "Death won't stop this daughter o' Ironforge!"

"Selma?" Kroll asked. He knew it was her, but didn't want to believe another had fallen.

"The one an' only. I, for one, am not willing to be locked up in this piece of metal forever! _Yah!_" She charged into combat alongside the other spirits.

"_Lok'tar!_" Kroll shouted, following her.

XXX

A pool of dark magic formed right in the hunters' path. They tried to work around it, but this caused the spirits they were dragging along to miss Starwisp's frost trap. Sylvanas stopped for a moment to put another one down, then turned and ran to catch up with the others. Ash's pikachu had been caught in the black magic. It scrambled to get out. Reaching the edge, it collapsed, picked itself up, scrambled a few more steps, and collapsed again. Zeliek healed it before going back to casting holy shocks at Arthas.

The stumble had cost the hunters the perfection of their plan. Some of the spirits changed direction and went after people who could not possibly withstand the attacks. Tomas saw one coming after him and backed away, speaking the shadow word of pain and doing the best he could to fight back. His ninetales abandoned its attack on the Lich King, running to help the shadow priest. It took a running jump at the spirit – though see-through, it was solid enough to be tackled. Shadow energy arced this way and that, blasting the pokemon to the side. It slid across the ground and lay unconscious.

Arthas slammed Frostmourne into James' side. The death knight nearly dropped his weapon, clutched at the wound with one hand, and fell to his knees. The Lich King raised his weapon to kill James, but Rex blocked the attack with his ranseur. James got to his feet just as Arthas forced the spear out of the Blood Knight's hands. Rex ran to get it before it fell off the edge of the platform. Arthas slashed at Ash's legs, knocking them out from under him. The warrior was dazed as his head smacked into the stone platform. He was fuzzily aware of Arthas raising Frostmourne, point down, above his heart. His mind cleared just in time and he rolled out of the way as the Lich King embedded the tip of his weapon in the rocks. He jumped to his feet, but he'd dropped one of his swords and couldn't get to it. Arthas lunged again; James had recovered and darted out in front of Ash to block the blow with his own runeblade. Rex returned to the fight, calling on his pokemon to aid him.

A spirit blocked them, attacking the paladin, and of course, his pokemon disobeyed the order to attack Arthas and instead tried to save its master. Together they fought the spirit off. The other spirits were still chasing the hunters. Meowth missed his mark with a slowing shot and was attacked. Sylvanas quickly replaced his shot, but it threw off her timing, as well as the shot order. The pokemon lay on the ground, the arrows fallen out of his quiver. He shook himself and got to his feet, quickly gathering his arrows, only to be struck down by another of the spirits. Too weak to stand, he simply lay there.

"_No question remains unanswered. No doubts linger. You are Azeroth's greatest champions! You overcame every challenge I laid before you. My mightiest servants have fallen before your relentless onslaught, your unbridled fury… Is it truly righteousness that drives you?_" Arthas said. It had all been just a test! Now he would unleash his real power! "_You trained them well, Fordring. You delivered the greatest fighting force this world has __**ever **__known… right into my hands, exactly as I intended. You shall be rewarded for your unwitting sacrifice_."

The ice that held the paladin began to glow. Tirion was calling upon the Light to break him free, but it would take time. If the champions could just hang in there for just a little while longer…!

Another pool of darkness materialized, catching both the melee fighters and the archers. In their panicked scramble to get away from it, Lorien and Anando attracted the attention of the spirits that the archers had not yet finished off. Zin'ja didn't make it out of the shadows, leaving only Starwisp and Sylvanas to fight off the spirits.

Lorien was badly wounded by a spirit, but it didn't get to finish her off. Starwisp tore it apart with her bladed glove and her dagger.

The Lich King brought his weapon down on Ash's shoulder, breaking his arm despite the warrior slowing the attack with a parry. He retreated, clutching his broken arm. Rex turned to heal him, and was struck in the back of the head by pure accident with the hilt of Frostmourne as Arthas struggled against James. The paladin slumped to the ground, out cold.

The spirits were getting out of hand. Starwisp and Sylvanas couldn't handle them alone. Vaku and Jaina came to their aid, using their frostbolts to keep the spirits from running around with no restraints. Vaku didn't think ahead about where he would lead the ghosts, and found himself between the edge of the platform and a pool of shadow. Jaina frantically tried to kill off the spirit before it could kill the frost mage, but only succeeded in distracting it after it had badly wounded him. He lay bleeding on the ground, while the other mage fled the angry ghost.

James felt his foot slip slightly and realized he was at the edge of the platform. He tried to dart past Arthas, only to be struck down. He tried to get to his feet, but he would not survive alone. Right about the time he expected to feel Frostmourne cutting into the back of his neck, he instead heard a clang, and saw a shadow. He looked up. Anando was struggling with Arthas. At that point, James passed out.

Kai swooped overhead, breathing fire at the spirits. Several of them floated up to attack him. He was forced to retreat to fight them, effectively removing him from the fight the others were in.

"_Dragon!_" William called out, "Let me help you!" Kai glanced down. The shaman was at the edge of the platform, locked into a small area by several shadow pools. The black drake banked and hovered near the platform just long enough for Will to climb on his back. This way, he could fly around and let the shaman do all the shooting, while he watched where he was going.

Anando struggled against Arthas. He landed more than one impressive attack on the Lich King, but he was disarmed. He backed away, unable to get his weapon.

"_Papa!_" Zaraia cried out. Arcane magic crackled around her as she cast more powerful magic than ever before. Arthas went after her instead. Rex's charmeleon ran in front of her, spewing flames angrily as he defended the mage. Arthas stepped back, shielding his eyes. A blast of holy power hit him from behind. Anando glanced down at his hands, shocked. _The Light had answered his call!_

Zeliek cheered for his fellow undead servant of the Light. The celebration came too soon, because the Lich King retaliated with a blast of dark magic, bringing the death knight to his knees. Anando then fell forward, too weak to get to his feet. Sir Zeliek wouldn't let his friend be killed that easily, and cast an exorcism on his old enemy. "Over here! Aren't I worth more to you? Some no-name elf, or Sir Zeliek of Naxxramas? You want me back in your ranks? _Come get me!_"

"_A brave attempt, Zeliek, but I know how you think. You'll give anything to protect your allies – do you really think I'll let you?_"

"Well, yes," the paladin muttered, "actually I did… You're not too smart."

The Lich King gritted his teeth. No, he couldn't let Zeliek get the better of him! "_I had you under my control, paladin. You'll fall again. Your sharp tongue will only earn you more suffering!_" he replied, keeping one eye on the fallen death knight.

"I was in the same building as Blaumeux for seven years. You honestly think I've learned to keep my mouth shut? You're dumber than I thought. I'd expect the man who kept me prisoner would have more intelligence than the average schoolboy, but I guess I was wrong."

"_Naxxramas was nothing compared to what I'll do to you when I rechain you to the Scourge. You've guaranteed yourself a spot at the front of the army that will destroy Azeroth, paladin… so you can see the terrified women and children as we slaughter them…_" He turned back to Anando, who was starting to get to his feet, then realized that Zeliek had not been looking at him, but past him. He looked over his shoulder. The Lich King's jaw dropped slightly.

Sir Zeliek had outsmarted him; the undead paladin had been buying time for Tirion! That was why he hadn't tried to defend Anando directly! Fordring broke out of the icy prison and charged at the Lich King. It was all Arthas could do to get out of the way. Then he attacked from behind. Tirion was sent sprawling across the floor. He lost his grip on the Ashbringer and the sword slid to the base of the Throne itself. Tirion glanced over at the Lich King and scrambled to his feet. Arthas, furious with both paladins, changed targets. Zeliek parried the first blow but took the second attack. He slumped to the ground. A sword clattered to the ground, and the undead paladin looked to see where the sound had come from – Misty had dropped her weapon… and now held the Ashbringer instead.

She locked eyes with the Lich King. "_**It ends now, Arthas!**_" Holding the holy weapon high, she charged at him. Surprised, he didn't get a chance to properly parry, and took a gaping wound from the blessed sword. The blizzard howled around them, flapping their capes around dramatically. He swung Frostmourne at the girl, but she dodged. He swung it again, this time solidly hitting her shield. She jabbed at him with the Ashbringer, landing another gaping wound before retreating to a safer position. He chased after her and sliced several inches into her side with a poorly-aimed swing of his sword. She fell to the ground, letting go of the Ashbringer. The Lich King prepared to finish her off, but a bubble of light formed around her, she got to her feet and grabbed the sword, healing herself and continuing to attack Arthas before the bubble wore off. As soon as it did, the Lich King lunged at her; she parried and cast a judgement on him. He attacked twice in rapid succession, cutting into her arm and then into her hip. She tried to recover but before she could heal herself, he swung Frostmourne again; had she not blocked the blow with her shield, it would have killed her. She landed on her back several feet away from where she had been standing.

A powerful pyroblast knocked Arthas backwards. He looked at Gary, who was already preparing another fireball. The Lich King ran at the mage and attacked – his target blinked out of the way and threw a fire blast. Arthas turned and swung Frostmourne again, this time solidly hitting a mana shield. Gary responded with a dragon's breath spell. When Arthas recovered, he attacked yet again. The mage parried with Quel'Delar, though it took all his strength to do so. He forced Frostmourne away. Arthas swung it from where the mage had pushed it to, bringing it upwards – at the same time, Gary brought Quel'Delar down with all his might. The blades met with a loud crack and a piece of Frostmourne that had been snapped off went flying across the platform.

The spirits locked inside the weapon poured out. Uther and Terenas, along with the raiders the sword had killed, attacked Arthas all at once, along with Gary, who plunged Quel'Delar into Arthas's chest. He was thrown backwards by the collective attack, and his helmet bounced across the ground and skidded to a halt by the Frozen Throne itself. He lay on his back, coughing.

King Terenas knelt by him. Arthas struggled to raise his hand, and let it fall onto Terenas' shoulder. "_Father! Is it… over?_"

"At long last, my son. No king rules forever." He put his hand on Arthas'.

The blue glow dissipated from Arthas' eyes. "_I… see only… darkness… before me…_" With that, he let out a death rattle. Terenas closed his son's eyes and stood.

"Without their master, the Scourge will run unchecked across Azeroth. While some may go the way of the Forsaken, most will run rampant, destroying all in their path."

Uther nodded. "There must always be a Lich King." He helped heal those who had survived, then he and the other ghosts that had been trapped in Frostmourne simply dissipated, released from their torment at last. Kai landed on the platform, and Will got off his back. Once everyone had been restored, Tirion picked up the helmet of the Lich King.

"The weight of such a burden…"

"Who says it has to be a Lich _King?_" Misty asked. "I… I will-"

"No." Zeliek interrupted her flatly. "No, no, and no. You have your whole life ahead of you, young paladin."

"He's right," James said, "Give me the helmet. Undead, I can never return home, but my work here is done. Without Arthas to fight against me, I have nothing left to exist for."

"We're not going to leave you here!" Jessie protested.

"_Are you saying that for you or for me?_" James snapped, "This is the only purpose I have left!"

The warlock was silent. Someone else called out to them. "Tirion! You hold a grim destiny in your hands, but it is not for you or for any of them."

Tirion turned, and a look of shock crossed his face. "_Bolvar!_" He walked silently over. "By all that is holy…"

Bolvar, sitting on the Frozen Throne, was hardly recognizable. His skin was blackened and still red-hot in places. His eyes burned bright golden. "The dragons' flames… sealed my fate. Place the helm on my head – I will be the jailer of the damned."

"No, my friend… I cannot-"

"_Do it, Tirion! _You and these brave heroes have your own destinies to fulfil. This last act of service… is mine."

Fordring thought for a long time. "You will not be forgotten…"

"I must be! If the world is to live free of the tyranny of fear, they must never learn what I am about to do! Tell them only that the Lich King died and that I am also dead."

"Very well, old friend…" Tirion slowly reached forward, fighting against himself to do so, and crowned Bolvar Fordragon the new Lich King. The helm's gem changed from blue to orange in a flash of blinding light.

"Farewell. Leave this place, _and never return_." Ice formed around him and around the throne, encasing them as it had encased the original Lich King.

There was a long silence.

"So," Tirion muttered, "it is finally over."

"No," Gary said, "Not yet."

The others turned to face him. He was kneeling by Frostmourne, about a yard away from the throne.

"What do you mean?" Zaraia asked.

Without answering, the mage reached out toward the hilt of the weapon.

"_**No!**_" multiple voices protested at once!

It was too late. Gary let out a cry of pain as he did everything in his power to resist Frostmourne's will. Blue energy crackled around him and the sword as the broken weapon tried to corrupt his soul. He forced himself to take a step toward the throne. With a wordless shout, he swung the sword as hard as he could at one of the spikes next to the Frozen Throne. It shattered.

Gary collapsed to his hands and knees. Resisting the evil sword's curse took all his energy. Drained of his strength but not of his soul, he lay on the ground for a few minutes. Misty helped him stand again. He had to lean on her shoulder, too weak to stand on his own.

"Come," Jaina said, opening a portal to Dalaran, "Let us leave this place. I will ensure our fallen companions are properly recognized and honored."

"At last, our quest comes to an end," the fire mage said, smiling a bit.


	82. Farewells

Trainers stranded throughout Azeroth were slowly trickling into Dalaran, mostly through portals created by mages all over the world. Gary had sent out messengers to all the major cities he knew of, as well as some minor cities, and even a few to Outland, to gather all the surviving trainers who wished to return home. He had given two weeks' notice, to be sure he wouldn't leave anyone behind. The creation of a portal to Kanto would be very difficult, not a task he could easily repeat. It would require aid from several of Dalaran's most powerful sorcerers – Rhonin, Jaina, Khadgar, Vaku, and Zaraia had all agreed to help. Together, they would open a portal to take everyone home. However, they had to wait for all the trainers to arrive, and had two weeks to kill.

It was refreshing at the very least, luxurious at the most. The raiders of Icecrown were given a heroes' welcome in Dalaran; tailors provided fine clothing, custom-fit, for the armored fighters to wear around town, instead of their simple woolen tunics and plain pants, and the heroes were treated to free meals and shelter for the two weeks they'd be remaining in Azeroth. Misty and Zeliek, being the humble servants of the Light that they were, paid anyway – Misty was especially generous, as she wouldn't be needing gold anymore. The others put their gold into other things – namely, the production of a set of statues depicting the twenty-nine champions of the Argent Army for Dalaran Square. The idea had started when James suggested a statue to remember the fallen, and Tirion liked the idea so much he wanted to include all the twenty-five chosen ones, at which point Gary had insisted that Sylvanas, Jaina, Zeliek, and Tirion himself be included as well. Wendy wanted the pokemon included as well, so they were worked into the memorial. Pooling their gold, the heroes who would be leaving Azeroth had plenty to fund the creation of the monument.

Now, they were simply relaxing – a well-deserved rest, after the hell they'd been through. Gary and Misty stood on a balcony at one of the inns, overlooking the beautiful city. The mage had his arm around the paladin, who was wearing a white silk robe like that of a priestess.

"Going home," he said, "is going to suck."

"Why do you say that? As much as I love Azeroth, I am tired of fighting. I want to go back to a world where I can just relax, where the battling doesn't put lives on the line."

"Well, yeah, but… I… uh, I didn't tell you, did I?"

"Tell me what?"

"Well… Arcane magic is… addictive," Gary said slowly, "The blood elves turned to fel magic after the destruction of the sunwell because they were hopelessly addicted to magic… And we both know the incredible amounts of magic that have been flowing through my body every day for… how long has it been, now?"

"Oh, Gary…" the paladin sighed sadly, "All this time… You're addicted to magic, you're saying?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"Will withdrawal kill you?" Misty asked, worried.

"Nah. I'll probably be a nervous wreck for more than a few weeks, though…"

"Well, it's not like there are demons in our world for you to drain magic from. You won't be able to do anything bad out of desperation, so you'll probably get used to it eventually… I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Yeah. Speaking of which, how do you think Ash is doing? The limit on the time he has left with Zaraia, and all…" the mage said, changing the topic.

"He's not taking it well, I think," the paladin replied.

"I didn't think he would." After a long pause, he continued, "Seeing him and Zara… It makes me really, _really_ glad you're from my world. If I had to say goodbye to you… I think I would die."

She smiled a bit and nodded. "I would too."

He gave her a quick kiss, and they returned to watching the streets of Dalaran.

XXX

Ash and Zaraia were at the Antonidas Memorial, not far away from the inn, treasuring what little time they had left together. Vaku watched from afar, without either of them knowing. Though seeing his love with the warrior made him jealous, he wanted her to be happy, at least for the time she could be. He also respected Ash, so he intended to leave them alone. _Fate,_ he thought, _has not been kind to either of their hearts. But I will be there to mend hers. I only hope there is someone in his world to do the same for him._

XXX

Gary returned from Stormwind, stepping out of the portal with three bundles, which he handed to the paladin and warrior, who were preparing for the return home. "I knew putting our Kanto clothes in the Stormwind bank was a good idea."

The heroes left to find some place to change, and when they gathered again, they gave their Azerothean gear to Jaina, who would send it to Ironforge for the museum. After all, the items were now relics. Quel'Delar would be sent to Silvermoon City, where it belonged.

"I feel… naked without my swords," Ash commented, "The hat feels weird, too." Pikachu sat on his shoulder, having forgotten entirely about sitting on its trainer's head. That had been far too long ago.

"Seems strange not wearing a tunic," Gary agreed.

"I know, right? It'll take me a while to get used to not wearing armor or a robe," the paladin said, "and I know what you mean about the swords, Ash. I keep feeling like 'where's my shield? Where's my sword?' and then I remember that I'm not gonna be carrying one around anymore…"

"It's gonna be really weird, not having to fight for our lives anymore," Ash said.

"I dunno if we'll ever be able to fit back into our own world…" said Gary, "but we certainly don't belong here… We're not Azerothean, and… in a way, we're not Kantoan anymore, either."

XXX

Team Rocket was having a very tearful goodbye. Jessie and Meowth intended to return to their own world, but James had no choice but to stay behind. The warlock was sobbing hysterically, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hugged her old friend, and suddenly he broke down and cried as well. Jessie stopped crying for a moment and jumped back a bit in shock at the unfamiliar sound of a death knight sobbing. His shoulders shook violently, and Jessie beheld the sight of James, of all people, crying his heart out, tears flowing freely from the one eye still capable of producing them – the other tear gland had long since rotted beyond function.

"I will never forget you, Jessie. You have been the best friend anyone could ever ask for!" he managed to say, through the sobbing.

"I'll never forget you either, James."

Meowth bit his lip but couldn't stop himself from crying. One tear, then another, and another; tears of pure grief and emotional pain. Then, the unexpected happened. The tears, instead of hitting the ground, glowed and floated over to the death knight, as though drawn to him, and soaked into his skin.

Pokemon tears, as had once been proven before, though Mewtwo had wiped that memory away, when shed in deep sorrow, were capable of healing… even of reviving the dead.

James looked at his hand – something he wasn't used to seeing anyway, but he was not wearing his gauntlets. His pale skin turned dark toward the tips of his fingers, but now, where Meowth's tear had touched his hand, the skin was almost natural in color again. The tears kept flowing, floating over, and where each one touched, it spread living color like ink on a page that water has dripped on. James stared in disbelief and wonder, then shut his eyes and let the feeling of life course through him. Life. He'd never valued it so much before. When he reopened his eyes, they were no longer glowing blue.

Pokemon tears could cure undeath!

"This… this is remarkable!" The fact that he was alive again really hadn't sunk into James' mind. "Could you pull that off for the other undead?"

"I don't think I can," Meowth said, "I don't cry easily."

The concept finally kicked in. "_My god, I'm not dead anymore! I can go home!_"

XXX

The heroes shook hands with their Azerothean friends, hugged them, said their goodbyes. Starwisp hugged both Gary and Ash tightly, wished them luck, and told them she would never forget the adventures they'd had together. Misty said goodbye to her mentor, then hugged him. Sir Zeliek didn't seem to know how to react, but after a moment, he picked her up with a tight hug as though she were his own daughter. Ash shook hands with Vaku. James gave Lorien a friendly hug and a pat on the back. Jessie gave Sylvanas a Forsaken salute, which the undead elf returned.

The mages then stepped forward and began the creation of a portal, while the other trainers in Azeroth watched and waited. Though all six of them looked exhausted, it worked! The blue disk opened up, with an image of the familiar-yet-strange forests of Kanto on the other side. A cheer rose up from the crowd. The raiders stepped aside while the trainers all streamed through the portal. Soon, it was only them.

Ash hugged Zaraia tightly, then stepped back, looking at her longingly before turning to go. It was time for the heroes to leave. Just as he was about to step through the portal, she cried out.

"_Ash, wait!_"

He turned around, as Zaraia ran toward him. She threw her arms around him, and kissed him. For a moment, he just stood there, stunned. Then he closed his eyes, put his arms around her, and returned the kiss lovingly.

"Goodbye," he whispered. She nodded slowly, blinking back tears and swallowing the lump in her throat.

Gary and Misty just looked at them in a mixture of pride and pity. Ash was doing his best not to cry as he turned and walked through the portal. The paladin followed him, then James and Jessie.

Gary stopped right before going through. He looked over his shoulder, one last time, at Azeroth. "Farewell." Then he, too, stepped back into his own world. A few moments later the portal closed.

"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" Vaku asked, looking at Zaraia. She nodded, whimpering softly. "You loved him very much."

"…He's gone…" the mage whispered, as it began to sink in that she would never see Ash again.

Vaku put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "But you're not alone. Not this time… I know you… you feel strongly for him, and you will for some time… but I am here for you, now… I won't leave you this time." She hugged him and sobbed into his shoulder. "Shh… I'm here…"

XXX

"Well, twerps," Jessie said, "it has been an honor fighting by your side, but we're back in Kanto now. We're not strictly allies anymore. When next we meet, it's back to the old ways." The Rocket didn't seem aggressive about her statement; rather, she seemed almost reverent. She had new respect for the younger trainers, and would never forget that they fought for their lives together.

"See you around, Team Rocket," Misty said.

"Farewell," James said. With that, he and Jessie, along with Meowth, went their own way. It would be strange travelling without them.

Ash didn't say anything, or look at anyone. Misty patted his shoulder. "It will fade. I know it hurts, but it will fade."

"Yeah… I know…"

"Look on the bright side – she's going to be safe and happy with Vaku," Gary said, "I'm sure you'll find a nice girl in this world, anyway. Cheer up, Ash; we're home again, at least. I know it's bittersweet, but you'll come to see the sweet more than the bitter."

"I guess so…"

Gary put his hands in his pockets, then looked startled. "Hey! My pokeballs are back!"

Misty immediately checked for hers. "Mine too!" Indeed, all the missing pokeballs were back, now. "Weird!"

Ash, realizing he had his pokemon back, smiled slightly. Maybe it wasn't all so bad. He would hurt for quite some time, but he knew he couldn't hang onto the pain. He would have to let it fade.

Misty looked around. "Where are we, anyway?"

Gary examined their surroundings. "Just a little ways north of Pallet Town, I'd say. How very convenient." His estimation was proven correct, because soon they came into a clearing near his and Ash's hometown. The Professor was comforting a crying Delia.

"Mom?" Ash asked. His mother gasped and looked up.

"_Ash!_" She ran over to hug her son.

"Gary!" Professor Oak exclaimed, clearly relieved to see his grandson.

"_Where have you all been?_" Delia asked, her voice both thankful and scolding.

There was an awkward silence before Misty spoke up. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."

Ash's mother folded her arms over her chest. "Try us."

Misty, Ash, and Gary looked at one another. Gary pulled the necklace he was wearing out from under his shirt and looked at the bird-shaped pendant – Thalorian Dawnseeker's phoenix necklace. He then looked back up at his grandfather and Ash's mother. He took a deep breath, sighed, glanced back at his friends, then back at the adults, and began. "_Well…_"

THE END


End file.
